Cast Your Soul to the Sea
by Marah Lane
Summary: An AU world in which Arya stays in Winterfell, while her father and Sansa go to Kings Landing. Eventual Arya/Theon pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This is my first attempt at a Game of Throne's fic. I have several chapters written, so hopefully I'll update often if it's well received. Remember, this is anAU, I have aged the some of the characters up several years. Some of the same events that had happened in the books and the show will happen in this... things will just happen differently. I hope you enjoy

**Chapter 1**

Arya sat with her septa, her sister, and her mother. She fidgeted uneasily in the horrible gown they had dressed her up in, like she was some sort of doll. And now her hair was being pulled in all sorts of directions in some sort of braid monstrosity that was no doubt of a Southron style. Arya suspected her mother thought it would show well to adopt the style, at least for the first meeting of the King and Queen. Which would probably be in a few hours, a messenger had arrived not to long ago announcing that the Royal entourage was indeed closing in on Winterfell. Arya knew that something huge must have happened, the King didn't just pick up from King's Landing to just visit the Warden of the North on a whim. She wasn't sure what it was, nor did she care, she just knew that she was being tortured with both the dress and the hairstyle, and she was already resenting it.

"Why do I even have to be there? It's not like the King even knows I exist." Arya said petulantly as her mother tugged on the young girl's stubborn hair once again.

"Sit still Arya," admonished her mother, Catelyn, with a huff of disgust at the fact that she couldn't get the girl's hair just right. "King Robert is not only our King, he is one of your father's oldest and dearest friends . It would not be proper if our entire family was not there to welcome him to Winterfell."

"Hmph," Arya pouted. "Fine, but I don't have to like it." Arya looked over at Sansa, giving her a murderous glare. Of course her sister would be enjoying all of the pomp and circumstance.

"I think it's going to be most exciting." Sansa gushed. "The Queen is going to be here and they say she is one of the most beautiful women in all the realm. And Prince Joffrey," Arya couldn't help but roll her eyes. "And Ser Jaime I hope he's as handsome as everyone says."

"You seem more excited about the Lannisters then the King." Arya deadpanned, then her eyes brightened. "Do you think the Imp will be coming? I've always wondered if the stories of his height were true."

Catlyn looked sharply at her youngest daughter. "Arya!" She scolded with a shock. "You will speak of a proper lord in the proper way. You will address him as Lord Tyrion, and yes I do believe your father mentioned that he would be part of the Royal party." Catelyn did not seem pleased by this particular fact.

Arya made a small face but then nodded to her mother to show that would at least try to act like a proper lady.

"You are done, I will set you free as long as you promise not to make a mess of your dress and hair."

"Yes Mother," But Arya barely heard as she scrambled to the door. She couldn't be out of the room fast enough. The freedom of the outdoors called for her too loudly.

Arya tore down the halls of Winterfell as if on a mission. It was only moments before she found herself in her room. She stalked to a trunk in the corner where she hid her bow and quiver of arrows. She had every intention of doing exactly what her mother had warned her against.

There were several people milling about the practice yard, making preparations for the arrival of the royal family. Her father and Jory looked on, a bit of smile on their faces. Her brothers were standing about, attempting to fill their time before the King arrived. They watched each other take turns at sword play and practiced with their own bows and arrows, even after they cleaned up for the King. It didn't seem fair that boys got to have all the fun, and didn't have to worry about messing up their clothing. She allowed herself a bit of a pout at that. Theon was there too laughing and having fun with Jon and Robb. At the moment it was Bran who held the bow and arrow. He held it up to take aim at the target. He was still young and wasn't as proficient as the rest of the Stark boys. And as he missed two times in hitting the target, Arya smirked with a bit of mischief, he also wasn't as good as she was with a bow.

While he lifted his arms to make his next attempt, she lifted her bow and lined up the arrow. She carefully took aim at the middle circle of the target that Bran had been practicing on. He worked on calming his nerves and was just about to let his arrow fly, when Arya beat him to it. There was a thunk as the arrow she had let loose hit true to her intended target. For a moment there was silence while everyone looked to where she stood, smiling proudly to herself. Bran looked like he swallowed something awful realizing that a girl had bested him, then started after his sister, who dropped her bow and started to run away from him.

Her father and Jory started laughing at the antics of the children, even though Ned knew he should probably calm his daughter. He knew Cat would not be happy with the behavior and so close to the time their visitors would be arriving. He just couldn't bring himself to tame the young wolf now, he didn't have the heart to. He knew he let his youngest daughter get away with too much.

Jon, Theon, and Robb were also laughing in. Robb eyed his friend, Theon, pointedly. "I didn't know she could shoot like that. I have to wonder where she learned."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Theon struggled to keep the smug smile from his face, hoping to give some illusion of innocence. He was quite proud of his little student. She really learned a lot from him over the past few weeks.

"Sure you don't." Put in Jon. "She's a just a natural." His voice held a hint of teasing.

Theon rolled his eyes. "Okay, so I might have given her a lesson or two." He was downplaying his role slightly. "But you know how she is when she gets her mind set on something, she'll pester and pester until she gets whatever it is she wants."

The other two boys laughed, they knew exactly how their sister was. "Aye, we'll give you that. But my mother is not going to be pleased." Robb mentioned.

Theon's characteristic smile faded for a moment. "We don't have to mention this to the Lady Stark, do we?"

Again the boys laughed. "Don't worry your secret is safe with us." Said Jon, just as the signal sounded for the arrival of King Robert.

All three of them looked at each other with a sort of dread. They hated the formality that came with being born of noble blood. They quickly made their way over to their prearranged places. Robb stood with the rest of the Starks, Bran was there but Arya was absent. Robb gave a quick a glance at Jon and Theon with a face that said "uh oh". The other two snickered from their positions. Lady Stark gave her husband a worried glance when she couldn't account for Arya.

But for now it was too late to go looking for her. The Baratheons had arrived. Robert, who was a larger man than the Starks had been led to believe, gracelessly lumbered off his horse as Ned stepped forward to greet him. The queen's carriage came to a halt and some knights moved to help her and her youngest son and daughter down. A blond young man who everyone assumed must be Prince Joffrey looked around with a bored expression at Winterfell, and he got off the horse with a grace his father didn't have. A knight dressed is in white to designate the King's Guard stood at the horse that held the halfling who could only be Tyrion Lannister. The Knight must have been Jaime. There were various others of the King's entourage milling about and mixing with the servants of Winterfell starting to get things in order while the nobles attended to their greetings.

It was just as Ned started the introductions that Arya decided to show up, her dress rumpled and her hair a mess. Her entrance was less then graceful. She ran right up to her place between Sansa and Bran, her face flushed and her body breathless. She looked apologetically at her father. He tried to look stern, but she could see the twinkle of laughter in his eyes, despite his frown.

Robert held the same amusement in his eyes as he watched the young girl take her place. He even seemed to be chuckling a little bit. "She reminds me of someone." He whispered to Ned. Whose expression seemed to go reminiscent of times past as he nodded his head, knowing of whom Robert had spoke.

Arya tried to give her mother her best, pitiful I'm sorry look and from the look her mother returned she could tell it hadn't worked. She winced knowing she would be in for quite the punishment when the greetings had been dispensed.

The others in the yard had their bouts of amusement too at Arya's expense. Theon and Robb exchanged knowing looks, Robb trying desperately to hide a chuckle, Theon just smiling in that special way of his. Jon had a little bit of a problem hiding his laugh and had to cover it with a cough, which also earned him a look from Catelyn. Queen Cersei raised her eyebrows in subtle disdain, at what she had no doubt thought of as the little northern barbarian girl. Jaime looked up at his little brother who was still seated upon his horse, both trading amused looks and smiles, thinking that perhaps not all the Starks were impossibly boring like the honorable Ned.

Finally, after all the introductions were made and Arya attempted to preform a passible curtsy, King Robert asked her father if he could go pay respects to her Aunt Lyanna, who had once been betrothed to the King before she had died. Quickly after that, the party started to disband and thankfully, Catelyn was busy entertaining the Queen. This allowed Arya to be able to slip away easily without anyone realizing that she had done so. She supposed that she could spend some time in the Godswood. She doubted anyone would bother her there. She thought maybe she could practice her sword play while everyone was so busy running around trying to impress the royals.

She was stealthy enough when she wanted to be and while it had taken her longer then she would have liked to get to the armory, she arrived there unnoticed. She had already retrieved her bow from the practice yard, all she needed now was a practice sword. She had hoped the building to be mostly empty, easily dodging her way around several of Winterfell's guards. Everyone seemed to be much too interested in their guests than they were with her. However her assumption proved to be a little off. When she reached the room that held the practice swords. Someone was already there.

"I knew I would find you here, you little wolf." Theon said with a smirk as she slinked into the weapons area.

Arya frowned at the fact that she was found out, but at least it was only Theon, maybe he could be reasonable. She turned towards him with with a bit of a furrowed brow. "You're not going to say anything to anyone are you?"

He had been leaning against a table that held several bits and pieces of armor. One leg crossed over the other, his arms crossed as his eyes showed just how amusing this whole situation was to him. He looked like the perfect picture of relaxation. He raised an eyebrow at what she said. "I don't know, what's in it for me?"

Arya sighed realizing that of course he was going to ask for something out of all of this. She seemed to deflate a little bit knowing that she didn't have a single thing to offer the young man. "What do you want?"

He pushed himself up off the table and shrugged his shoulders. Usually this would be the moment that he would say something lewd and uncouth, but she was Lady. Well sort of, but he had to be polite, even if it didn't seem like he had to treat her like the other Ladies he had encountered. And she was still young, five and ten, to his nine and ten and it would be like saying disgusting things to one's sister. "You have nothing I want. I just came to see that you kept you out of trouble. Your mother is already going to have a fit after what you pulled when the King arrived. You're awfully lucky most of those gathered there were more amused then offended."

"I think the Queen wasn't too impressed. She looked like she swallowed a lemon." Arya's brow furrowed a little before she offered him her girlish grin.

Theon chuckled a little. "Yes, well, you know the Lannisters…" He trailed off realizing that perhaps neither of them knew what the Lannisters were like except for what gossip they had heard from other people.

There was silence for a moment, before Arya looked at him hopefully. "So, you're not going to tell?"

He looked her over, as if he was still giving it some thought. Finally with a mock sigh, "No, I don't suppose I will." He moved over to the wooden practice swords. He picked up two. "If I were to hazard a guess, I would think that you were after one of these." He tossed one over to her.

She easily picked it out of the air with a grin. "Of course, I was going to go practice out in the Godswood, I figured it would be the only place that wasn't going to be swarming with Lannisters or Baratheons."

"Well, allow me to come with you." He said testing the weight of the wood sword as if it was a real option. "I promised Robb I'd keep you out of trouble, so your Lady Mother wouldn't get herself all in a twist. I'll give you a few more pointers with the bow too. You made some mistakes earlier."

"I did not." She protested. "I hit the target!"

"You still have a lot to learn, pup." He said with a laugh. "Will Nymeria be joining us?" He asked so he wouldn't let her respond to his last comment on her performance with the bow. A good way to get her to shut up about something was to ask about her direwolf. He walked slowly towards the door.

She still looked at him incredulously. "I…" She was quite flustered, because she had thought she shot quite well, she had after all hit the target. "Fine." She huffed as she realized she would get nothing else out of him pertaining to her performance. "Yes, she'll be coming. She's probably already there. She knows where she's supposed to go. Especially since I didn't tie her up like I was supposed to so she wouldn't bother the Royal Family." She said a bit guiltily.

Theon just looked at her with a chuckle. "You really are something Arya Stark." She shook his head and then pushed open the door and took a quick look around to make sure that no one was paying close attention to their location. "Come on, I think it's safe to go out."

Arya just nodded her head then slipped past him and made her way outside. She didn't look back as she walked towards the Godswood, she knew that Theon was following her. It was weird to think that he might just be her best friend, given the fact that he was four years older. And that he was technically the ward of her father because of a rebellion that his father had tried to incur years ago. So technically he should be considered an enemy. But to her, he was just Theon, the boy who had taught her to properly use a bow and arrow. And he didn't treat her like she was a highborn lady. She had to respect him for that.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm happy that there are people out there who are willing to indulge my musings! I hope you continue to enjoy. Thank you. Happy reading!

**Chapter 2**

Arya had wanted to stay in bed a little longer then usual on the morning after the King's arrival. She, of course, knew that would not be an option, despite how tiresome the day before had been. She had spent the evening's festivities on her best behavior, after some very harsh words from her mother about how a proper lady should behave. Not to mention, her time spent with Theon practicing sword play, it had been fun, but it took a lot of her energy, and he had not gone easy on her. She had a feeling she had several bruises where he had landed some of his more forceful hits. She was comfortable in her warm bed and the thought of getting out of it displeased her, greatly.

She groaned softly as she sat up in her bed, she winced slightly and turned her attention to a sore spot on her arm. She frowned deeply as she saw the purpling bruise. She would have to get Theon back for that. Just as she was about to slip out of bed there was a knock on the door and before she could bid the visitor to enter, Septa Mordane barged into the room. "Come girl," she said in her no-nonsense way, "your Mother and Father expect you at the morning meal. I'm here to make sure you don't dawdle."

Arya muttered incoherently under her breath about needing more sleep as she slowly stood up, glaring at her Septa. The woman had an uncanny ability to make her feel like she was still a child. "Must we eat with the Royal Family, again?" She didn't want to have to be overly worried about minding her manners, it was exhausting.

The Septa gave her a withering stare, "no." Was her simple answer as she went about helping Arya ready her things. "The King and your father have already eaten with the Princes and your brothers. The Queen and her daughter have decided to break their fast within their chambers. Your Mother simply expects you to eat and ready yourself for the day. She wants you to understand that you will be spending time with Princess Myrcella and the Queen this afternoon." Septa Mordane raised her hand to stop Arya's already forming complaints. "It's no use, we are to show the royal family every courtesy and you will do the Stark name proud. And if that means sitting with the Queen and doing needlepoint you will do so. Even if you can't sew a stitch to save your life."

Arya knew it was no use, she had lost this battle before she even knew she was fighting it and reluctantly started to get herself ready for the day. But she did so as slowly as she dared, she didn't want to make it seem like she was surrendering so easily. For her part, Mordane knew Arya was being obstinate, but she said nothing of it. She was just grateful Arya wasn't being even more difficult.

"You did well last night," Mordane said grudgingly. "Managed not to offend at all." She went about helping Arya fix her hair, this time in a more northern style then the one she wore the day before. "At least not at supper."

With a frown playing upon her lips, Arya sat still while she was attended to. "Mother made it quite clear that I was already in trouble for my tardiness at greeting the King, and that if I further embarrassed the family at the feast I would forced to spend my afternoons with Sansa and Jeyne for the duration of the court visit." Arya pouted slightly at the very thought of spending too much time with the two girls. "And if last night at the feast was any indication, I would have to hear about Prince Joffrey none stop." She did nothing to hide her contempt.

"Don't be to hard on your sister, Lady Arya," Mordane said quietly, she wondered if Arya had heard any of the talk that was going on around the Keep. She wouldn't be to surprised if she had been too wrapped up in spending time with Theon to have heard the news that her sister was soon to be married to the very man she thought so little of. "And he is not all bad. I have no doubt you'll get to know him a bit better while on your way to King's Landing." The Septa eyed her charge carefully, she was testing to see how much Arya knew.

For a moment Arya sat still staring at herself in the mirror that she sat in front of. The Septa had just finished with her hair. Her eyes moved from her reflection, to the reflection of Mordane. "Excuse me, but I must have misheard you. Did you say, that I would have a chance to get to know him on my way to King's Landing?"

Mordane could tell that Arya was tensing up, she knew that the young woman would not be happy about the upcoming trip. She was Northern bred through and through, and she would not be happy about being sent away from her home. She supposed she would have to handle this delicately. "Hmmm? Oh yes," best not to sugar coat it though, Arya would react how she would react, and no sweet words would change that. "The King has asked your father to be Hand."

"Hand of the King?" Arya asked dully. Her father would of course accept. He didn't know how to say no, especially to a friend who also happened to be King.

"Aye," Mordane paused a moment. "He has also agreed to the betrothal of your sister to," she paused slightly here, "Prince Joffrey."

At this, Arya momentarily forgot that there was indeed a journey to King's Landing in her future. Her nose wrinkled as if she had tasted something disgusting. "Sansa is going to be married to that… that boy?" What a terrible awful fate, to be tied down to someone you barely knew and who seemed so arrogant. Joffrey hadn't made a move to act civil or friendly to either her or her brothers since his arrival.

"Oh, I don't think Sansa thinks it's so bad." Mordane clucked.

"Of course, _she_ wouldn't!" Arya exclaimed, "she's perfectly happy because he looks pretty! She doesn't see how he seems to turn his nose up at us."

"I suspect you're right, my lady." The Septa concluded. "But she will be well taken care of, and she is happy."

"We mustn't forget that she will also be Queen." Arya muttered.

At this Mordane chuckled, she did suppose that little fact would make Sansa a bit unbearable at first. The girl always did have a haughty streak in her, her eminent marriage to a Prince would only add fuel to the fire. "I suspect you are right. But perhaps she can calm herself while on the road, and I also have a feeling you won't let her get away with anything." Mordane betrayed an amused smile.

And there that was again, this promise of King's Landing. Arya stood up abruptly and whirled around to face the Septa. "You keep saying that! What is this about?" Her gray eyes clouded over in fury.

Her septa sat down easily on the edge of Arya's bed. However her face betrayed weariness at being the one to break the news to the youngest Stark girl. "With your Father having to go with the King to fulfill his duties as Hand, and your sister needing to learn the ways of the Southron court before her wedding, your parents have deemed it a good idea to send you along as well." She looked at the fuming girl before her with a small sigh before going on, "your mother seems to think being there might gentle your spirit. And I'll be going to look after the two of you…" She trailed off as she watched Arya storm from the bedroom, no doubt to try and find her parents. If Mordane was honest with herself, she hoped the girl would get her way, she had a feeling Arya would not survive long in the South. The North, it was in her blood, she would not adapt the way that Sansa would.

—

Arya was not hungry, and all thoughts of breakfast and food were erased from her mind when her Septa had informed her that she would be ripped away from her home, to be paraded around the Southron court. She wondered if she would be put on display to find her a suitable match, the same way that Sansa had been. Her face reddened with even deeper rage as she stormed through Winterfell looking for her parents. Of course they were no where to be found within the walls. There was really only one place to look for them. She knew her father well, and she knew he was probably feeling as overwhelmed as she was, having to entertain the Baratheons. That meant that he would seek solace in the same place that she did.

The Godswood was much the same as when she had left it the previous afternoon. It was quiet and peaceful, and even though she was angry, she stopped a moment to take in it's calming affect. She knew she had to force herself to be less confrontational if she was to talk some sense into her parents. She quietly made her way towards the pool of water where her father would most likely be. Maybe, if her mother wasn't there she would have a better time of getting her way. Her mother was always the harder one to convince when it came to something that Arya wanted.

But when she came upon the spot she was looking for, she heard the hushed voices of both her father and her mother. They seemed not to have noticed her yet, so she quickly hid behind a tree, hoping to over hear any important information they had to talk about.

"I don't like this Ned," Her mother sat beside her father on a downed tree. "Lysa speaks of…"

Ned couldn't help but let out a gentle chuckle. "Lysa just lost her husband, and doesn't know of what she speaks. She is lucky she sent that letter to you and no one else intercepted it. It is nearly treason to speak of the things she did."

"She sounded so frantic." Catelyn said quietly.

"My dear Cat." Ned said quietly as he rested his hand on Catelyn's. "I don't want to go, anymore then you want to send me. But my King calls, and I must answer."

"But if Lysa's accusations are…" Arya watched as her mother struggled with the words that she wanted to say. What was her mother so worried about?

"I will be careful." Ned said firmly.

"And the girls?" Catelyn asked.

"Sansa, I have no doubt will flourish in King's Landing." Ned replied and his wife nodded in agreement. "I believe she was born for the role we are about to thrust her in."

"It isn't her I worry about." Catelyn said, her voice showing signs of resignation. These were arguments that had already been visited, and still they hadn't brought her husband any closer to rejecting the King's offer of being Hand.

"I know it is Arya that has you so unsettled." Lord Stark agree. "Me as well. She is wild, much like Lyanna. I fear there is nothing that can tame her. I loathe to even try it. But I know that she has to be checked at some point. Perhaps being around other Ladies of the Court will help. I think sometimes she resents having to spend so much time with her sister."

"I know what you speak makes sense. She wishes to spend most of her time with Robb and Jon. Even Bran is too tame for her." Catelyn agreed.

Ned let a fond smile grace his lips. "I noticed how you left Theon out."

Catelyn furrowed her brow. She had left him out on purpose. She wished not to think about him, if she was being honest with herself she was worried about him and her daughter. "I'm afraid to acknowledge him. I guess that is something, at least she will be getting away from him."

"He is harmless." Countered Ned dismissively.

"Is he?" Catelyn asked, "just yesterday they spent hours together. Alone I might add. I don't have to remind you how inappropriate that is."

This time Ned couldn't help but let out a loud chuckle. "He kept her out of trouble, for that alone I would think you would be grateful to the boy." He held up his hand to forestall any comment she might have had. "I understand your worry Cat, but this is Arya, I doubt he sees her as anything other then a little sister and I doubt she sees him as anything more then a teacher."

"I still can't help but worrying… you know what he does in his free…" Cat started before she was interrupted by a figure that jumped out from behind a tree.

Arya was not one hundred percent sure what they were so worried about, when it came to Theon, she just knew that she did not like the way her mother spoke of him. And their words made it seem as if the time she spent with her friend would be taken away. So before her mother could speak any more ill of him she had to make herself known. "I don't want to go!" She simply exclaimed.

Her father looked at her with a surprised expression, one eyebrow raised. "So you know of our plans I take it? How much of our talk did you overhear?"

"Not much." Arya admitted, knowing she couldn't lie to him about spying. "And anyway, don't I get a say in what happens to me?"

"No, I don't believe you do." Catelyn put in.

"That's not fair!"

"Life rarely is, Little One." Ned said, not without a hint of amusement.

Arya looked to her father in hopes that she could appeal to him. "I will not fit in at King's Landing, you know that!"

"How do you know, if you don't at least try to." Catelyn said in a quiet tone.

Arya huffed out in frustration. "Because being around Lords and Ladies… that's not me. That's Sansa, she'll be happy there, I won't. I don't belong there."

"You would be good company for Sansa, she will know no one there at first." Her father seemed to be pleading with her. He had not looked forward to this conversation at all.

With a cant of her head Arya gave him a confused look. "Are we talking about the same girl? If anything I will only get in her way. 'Arya, you always ruin everything!'" she said in a perfect imitation of her sister. "Those are her words exactly."

Catelyn let out a small sigh, knowing that her daughter was probably correct, but she said nothing, she simply looked at her husband.

Arya, it seemed, was not out of reasons for her not to go. "Not only that, but I would only embarrass you." She knew this was true, she often embarrassed her mother, while her father seemed to be only amused by her antics. Despite being an embarrassment to her parents, she knew they did love her. "You don't have to try to deny that," she looked to her mother with reassurance. "I know I do Mother. I'm not the perfect little girl who likes dresses and tea parties. And I embarrass you enough when I'm here, it will only be worse in King's Landing. I'll be watched even more closely then I am here!"

Her parents said nothing, and she could not read their reactions. Sometimes they could be so closed off with their expressions. So she simply forged on with her argument. The next one didn't sit well with her, but she had a feeling it would go a long way. "And if I put on a poor showing there, then who would you get to marry me!" She shuddered at the very thought of being forced into a marriage to someone she didn't even like.

"I wasn't aware that would be a problem for you." Ned said, his eyes twinkling in amusement at what his daughter had said. It showed him that she desperately wanted to stay at Winterfell.

"It's not," She answered defiantly. "I just thought it might be a problem for you!"

"I must say Arya," Her father said carefully. "You have indeed given us some reasons to rethink our stance on you accompanying me to King's Landing. I shall give your arguments some thought." He waved his hand in the direction of Winterfell. "Now go, eat, I hear you have a busy day with the Queen and Princess Myrcella."

Arya frowned, knowing this was the best she was going to get from her father. She had said her piece and that was all she could do. She was being dismissed and she knew it. She stomped away from her parents a bit disheartened that she hadn't changed their minds right away.

Catelyn watched as her daughter exited the wood in the most unlady like fashion. She gave a tired sigh and turned to look at her husband. "You're going to let her get her way, aren't you, Ned." It wasn't a question.

—

Theon's day hadn't been going much better, maybe even a little worse. He had heard rumblings of the rumors of Sansa's betrothal at the feast the night before. Robb had confirmed the truth of them that morning at breakfast. He had filled Theon in on the plans that had transpired the previous day. That Lord Stark would be going to King's Landing, and with him, Arya and Sansa. The latter would be preparing herself for her upcoming nuptials with the Prince. Once Theon realized what that meant, his heart constricted tightly. The future that he often daydreamed about, him marrying the oldest Stark girl, had in one sentence been taken away from him.

For the rest of the morning he could be seen stalking around Winterfell with a surly expression upon his face. Almost everyone that he came across gave him a wide berth. Which was just as well, he was in no mood for company. He could have chosen to be angry with Lord Stark and the King, he even cursed them under his breath when he was certain he was alone, but mostly he was upset with himself. He should never have entertained the notion of Sansa and himself. _She was far too great a prize for a mere Greyjoy_, was a thought that came to his mind bitterly. He was often reminded of his station within the Stark household. He loved Robb like a brother, and he even recognized that Eddard Stark raised him and treated him better then he had a right to. But in the end, he was a mere hostage, something to hold over his father's head. He should have known better.

Then there was the pang of loss that came when Robb had mentioned that Arya would also be leaving. That had surprised him. He hadn't realized that during the time they had spent together over the past few weeks a friendship had started to grow between them. He would miss the near daily archery lessons and the sense of pride he felt when she actually took his advice and improved because of it. She was not one to listen to most people, but some how Theon managed to get through to her. She actually made him feel like he could at least do something right.

These thoughts, and more, plagued him and eventually he found himself in the brothel of Winterfell's outlying town. It was a place he was familiar with, he had been frequenting it for the past few years. It was really the only place he could take out his sexual frustrations. He was certain it was an activity that the honorable Lord Stark would disapprove. Just another thing that would mar his already subpar character in the eyes of all the Starks. And at the moment he didn't care.

He was seated at one of the grungy tables that littered the small common room. He knew that one of the girls would be more then willing to accommodate him, and usually he was more then willing to pay for their services, but today he just wasn't in the mood. He thought that coming here would take his mind off what was going on back at Winterfell, but for some reason being among these people just made him feel worse about himself.

Theon was still wallowing, when a few moments later the door to the brothel burst open and the frame was filled with Jaime Lannister. The tall man looked around the room with a bored expression. When his eyes reached Theon, he raised an eyebrow and there was an amused half smile playing upon his lips. Theon had the distinct impression that the man was laughing at him. That just made Theon's mood even darker, and as Ser Jaime made his way to where he sat, Theon just glared at him.

Jaime ignored Theon's mood and simply asked in a bored voice. "Have you seen my brother? I figured this would be the only place to find him."

Theon should have figured that would be the reason for Jaime being there, it wasn't as if he had expected the man to be there for his own urges. However, he didn't feel like talking to him so he simply nodded his head in the affirmative. He had seen the Imp only an hour earlier make his way to one of the private rooms with one of the girls. It had been Ros, one of Theon's favorites. Maybe that was why he wasn't so keen on getting a room of his own, the girl he preferred was already engaged elsewhere. That seemed to be happening to him a lot lately.

Jaime looked at him expectantly, a trace of annoyance in his eyes. "Could you perhaps elaborate and tell me where I might find him?"

Theon gave him a glare that might have made a lesser man run in the opposite direction. But Jaime had faced down men that were far greater than Theon Greyjoy and was not intimidated. When Theon realized that Jaime wasn't leaving he gave a frustrated sigh and motioned to the rickety stairs near the back. "He went up there about an hour ago. If the stories of his stamina are true at all, I doubt he won't be done for awhile yet." His tone portraying anything but friendliness.

With a chuckle Jaime clapped Theon on the shoulder, "of that I have no doubt. But I have to collect him as we have yet another feast to enjoy at the Stark's expense." He looked pointedly around the room where several girls seemed to be lounging around, just waiting for someone to pay for their services. "Now, will you be needing any of these girls before you have to make your way back to Winterfell?"

With a glare at Jaime, Theon shook his head.

"Excellent!" Then Jaime turned to the remaining girls, held up small leather pouch, shook it gently to show that there was plenty of coin inside. "I have a feeling I'm going to need your help ladies. I have to talk my brother into leaving this establishment at a decent hour. Let us not see if you can entice him to do so." Then he looked back to Theon. "You should probably make your way back if you're done here. I cannot imagine you frequenting this place would endear you to your guardians. I imagine a Stark would not be caught dead in a place like this." He said in a tone that seemed to mock Theon

"I'm not a Stark," muttered Theon.

Jaime couldn't help but egg the young Greyjoy on. It seemed to be so easy. "Exactly, you just wish to be like them." And with that said motioned for the girls to follow him and started up the stairs. In his mind Jaime had already forgotten about Theon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

On the second night of the Royal visit there was a feast that put the one that Winterfell had the night before to shame. It was a loud, happy affair and Arya couldn't help but enjoy herself, at least at first. However, as the night wore on, she saw the Queen turn up her nose at several of the Northern customs and her children didn't seem exactly impressed either. At the moment, Arya had her attention focused on the head table. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the arrogance all the Baratheons seemed to exude, except for the King. She had to force her eyes away from them, after all she didn't want to seem rude. She turned to those next to her, Bran, Theon,and Robb. Unfortunatelty, Jon had stalked off, presumably to go outside, he did not seem to be very happy. He must have been in one of his 'life's not fair' moods. She could sympathize. She would have joined him, but her mother was still upset about the day before and wouldn't be happy if she left early.

She leaned over to Robb and whispered in his ear. "How come that scrawny little Prince Joffrey doesn't come over and spend time with us. He looks bored and we're closer to his age, but he sits up there with his mother looking down on us as if we were barbarians."

That got a small, amused smile from her brother and he shrugged his shoulders. "You are a little barbarian, aren't you?" He wanted to reprimand his sister, but Robb didn't like Prince Joffrey either. There was something about him that made Robb nervous, but he knew better then to give a voice to those fears, lest someone overhear them.

"I tried talking with Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen." Bran spoke up, he must have heard Arya, she would have to work on quieting her whispers. "They're really quiet and hard to talk to, but they seemed nice enough. I think they're probably just shy."

"Well, I suppose I should go and attend Father." Robb said with a sigh, knowing just how boring it would be to spend time with his father greeting various nobles and talking with a very drunk king. He stood up reluctantly, "Theon, make sure she stays out of trouble." He said nodded to Arya. His friend seemed to be the only one to have any clout with the girl lately.

Arya just huffed at the assumption that she would actually go looking for trouble. Robb just smiled knowingly at her. He had already stopped her from throwing food at their sister. "I know you." He gave her a wink and started to walk away. Bran, who idolized his older brother, jumped up and started to run after Robb, no doubt trying match Robb's every move. Theon slid closer to Arya. Stealthily he pushed a cup full of Dornish wine towards her.

"Don't tell your mother." He gave her a bit of a smirk. "She'd have my cock if she knew I was letting you drink." The last bit slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and he winced, knowing he shouldn't talk that way to her.

She gave him a wolfish grin that was all her own. "I'll keep it quiet. And my Lady Mother would probably have a fit if she heard how you talked in front of me." She raised the cup to her lips and took a small sip. She had tasted wine before, but she also knew that they could taste different. Once she realized that this particular cup was to her liking she took a bigger gulp.

Theon chuckled at what she had said, he should have realized she really wouldn't care what sort of language he used. "Yes, well, she would be shocked to know that the words that come out of your mouth are much worse then anything that would come out of mine." He watched as she took another gulp. "Hey now, take it easy. We don't need you to be drunk now do we?"

"Lord Theon, trust me, I know my limits." She said with a smirk. "And, for the record, you have taught be everything I know about cursing."

"If that's true, it's because you're always underfoot. Half the time I don't even notice when you're skulking about. I cannot be held accountable for what I say when I think you aren't in earshot." He countered easily. He let his eyes wander about the feasting hall as their conversation dwindled.

"So, my father is to be leaving." She said quietly as she rested her elbows on the table. It was the first time she would allow herself to think about it since her talk with her parents. Of course, it would be within Theon's presence.

"So, I've heard." Theon said as his eyes wandered the room, resting for a moment on Sansa, a small pang of regret hitting his nerves. "King Robert has asked him to be the hand. I suppose most men would think that a great honor."

Arya scoffed. "I bet my father doesn't think that. It means he has to leave his family and go South." She scunched up her nose as if the very thought disgusted her. "Who would want that, and he has to deal with all those Southron houses? I bet he'll be terribly bored."

"Yes, he probably will be a bit out of his depth, but you know he can't turn it down." Theon shrugged. "Kings orders and all that. Besides, the two of them are great friends. I'm sure his Grace will keep him safe."

"The old hand died." Said Arya matter of factly.

"So?" Theon said, "People die all the time. Besides wasn't Jon Arryn old? It's not like someone murdered him. Your father will be safe." He said reassuringly.

"Sansa is going too." Arya said carefully, as she looked over at the older boy's reaction. She had long thought that Theon might have been a little in love with her older sister. She often caught him looking at her longingly. Whenever she did notice Theon's attentions to Sansa, she got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that she tried to ignore. That was a feeling she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to deal with.

"I heard that too." He said simply, quietly.

Arya again rolled her eyes, of course he would never really open himself up to her. "She's going to marry that awful Prince." She said with disgust. She really didn't like him, or the way acted. She wondered how Theon's reaction was to him.

He finally gave her a sharp look. "What are you getting at my Lady?"

Arya shrugged and took another gulp of wine. "I see the way you look at her."

"Oh do you now?" His eyes narrowed at her. "I have a feeling you don't know half of what it is you think you know."

Again Arya shrugged. "Sorry," she muttered. She had no intentions of making him upset. If anything she was trying to let him know that she was there for him if he wanted to talk. "Just trying to be a good friend."

He gave an impolite grunt at that. "What about you? I had heard Lord and Lady Stark might think it be a good idea to send their wild daughter to civilization in hopes of taming her. Is that particular rumor true?"

She scoffed at this. "As if a wolf can be tamed."

He smiled at her as if to say _that's my girl._ "Well, that still doesn't answer my question."

Arya shrugged. "I talked to my father about that. As much as I would love to be with him, I don't want to go South. I made a very fine case. Or at least I think I did. I told them I would only embarrass the Stark name with my unladylike ways and that it would be best if I stay with my Lady Mother, who can continue to try and bring me under control."

"Did it work?" Theon asked a bit amused.

Arya shrugged. "How am I to know? They said they'll give my words some thought. But I have a feeling my father will agree, and mother will go along with what he says."

"Aye," He said looking at her carefully. "I hope you get to stay. It would be boring without you here."

"You're just saying that because I'm the only one who can give you any kind of challange with a bow." She gave him a little shove as they sat looking at each other.

"More like I have to teach you a few more things." He said with a smirk.

"If you say so my lord." She answered with a grin. She stood up quickly and only managed to make herself dizzy. He quickly stood up after her and took her elbow helping to steady her.

"I told you not to drink so fast, my lady." He said exaggerating her title.

"I'm fine." She said with a smile. "And don't call me that. I'm off to go find Jon. I want to say good night to him before I go to bed. I've had enough of this damned party." And with that, she started to walk off abruptly.

From his place at his father's side, Robb watched as his sister unsteadily walked towards the exit. He raised a curious eyebrow over at Theon, and the boy gave a guilty shrug of the shoulders. Robb shook his head, then nodded after his littlest sister, meaning that he intended for Theon to continue to look after her. Theon rolled his eyes, but walked out after her. It didn't take long to catch up to her. "Come Arya, let me help." He took her arm gently.

She gave a small sigh. "Fine, but only because I'm feeling a little unsteady on my feet. Otherwise I don't need help."

"Of course not." He stated simply. "Let's try the practice yard."

"For what." She asked a bit foggily.

He chuckled at that. "To look for Jon, it's where he likes to go when he's brooding."

"Oh right." She said with a bit of a sigh. "Lead on, my lord. Maybe the fresh air will make my head clear."

"One can only hope." Theon said under his breath.

"What was that?" She asked sharply.

"Nothing." He said with what he hoped was a charming smile as he led the two of them outside through one of the doors.

They walked quietly for a few moments, keeping an eye out for Jon. After a while, Arya spoke up. "Theon?"

"Hmm…"

"Are you going to miss her," she asked tentatively. "Sansa I mean, will you miss her?"

He gave her a sideways look. "I thought we dropped this subject."

She shrugged. "I guess I'm just curious. I mean, I don't know if I'm going to miss her, if they let me stay. We never got on very well."

"Yes, I know that." He said quietly. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to answer that question. He looked quickly about the immediate vicinity and thankfully he saw no one, so he stopped them from walking any further. He needed a moment to think about what it was that she was asking him. He knew he was upset about Sansa being betrothed, but if he was honest, he didn't think he was going to miss her. For all of his pining, he didn't even know her all that well. She spent her time doing activities her mother would approve of, so they rarely had a time to talk to one another. He cast another glance around and then pulled Arya into a shadowy corner of one of the keeps outer buildings, so they wouldn't be interrupted. He looked at her carefully. It seemed the cold air had done her some good, her eyes were clear and bright. He could see that in the little bit of moonlight that that reflected off them.

"What?" She asked as he studied her.

"I don't think I will miss Sansa."

"Really?" She asked, and gods be damned she almost looked hopeful.

What in the seven hells did that mean? And did his heart just skip a beat? Perhaps they were standing just a little too close. He tore his eyes away from hers and looked across the yard. He shook his head as if to clear it, he had just found out the woman he wanted to marry was to be betrothed to another. He could not seriously be looking at Sansa's sister in _that_ way now.

"Really." When he said it out loud, he found that he actually believed what he said.

Was being a Stark that important so him that he would be willing to marry either of the Stark daughters? Gods knew he wasn't actually in love with Sansa, but she was beautiful enough that he could be able to live with being her husband. That is if Lord Stark had found it in his heart to give him Sansa's hand. Arya, well, she was a different matter. He got along with her better then anyone, except for maybe Robb. She was a close friend and nothing more.

He felt his hands ball into fists, nails digging into his palms, he hoped the pain would help to wake him up. He had far too much wine tonight it seemed. She was far too young for him to be even thinking this. And she was after all Arya Horseface. He brought his gaze back to her gray eyes, ready to tell her they should get a move on. But before he could say anything, for the first time in months he actually looked at her. She was five and ten, and growing up. Her face had changed it wasn't that she was beautiful in the way Sansa was, but he couldn't deny that she was striking. He could tell, even in the unkempt dress that her curves were finally coming in. He shook his head again, gods he'd stay away from the wine from now on.

"Come, we have to find your brother, I think you need to go to bed." He finally said, feeling a heavy urge to get away from her.

She shook her head too as if she was coming out of a fog of her own. She was about to protest and say she wasn't tired, but when she opened her mouth all she did was yawn. Theon chuckled nervously, and put his hand on her arm to guide her. They were just starting to get underway, when they heard a small commotion on the other side of the yard. They both turned and stepped away from each other to look. To their surprise, they saw Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow walking in their direction.

"There he is now." And without saying anything else Arya bounded over to her brother in a very unlady like fashion and launched herself at him with a big hug.

Theon walked carefully after them, making sure that his eyes never wandered in Arya's direction. He needed to sleep this off. Tomorrow would be better, his mind would be clearer, and he'd laugh at himself for even entertaining those thoughts of Arya.

"Where were you? I can't believe you left me alone with all those people." Arya admonished Jon.

For his part Jon raised an eyebrow, "I left you there with our brothers and Theon. I thought you were in capable hands."

"But the Lan…." She trailed off and looked down at Tyrion. "Oh… right, sorry."

Theon coughed a little to hide the chuckle that had threatened to erupt from his mouth. Jon just gave her a warning look.

"Oh, no I know exactly what you mean Lady Arya. My sister can be an insufferable bore. And my niece and youngest nephew are a tad shy, so no good dinner conversation there. And Joffrey," Tyrion said with a smile, trying to put the young Stark girl at ease, "it's best we don't' talk about that one. Although I assure you my brother Jaime is wonderful company, but I'm sure he was busy looking after the King."

Upon hearing this she gave Tyrion a wide grin. "I always knew you would be the most interesting of the lot. And don't call me Lady Arya. Arya is just fine."

"She keeps insisting she isn't a lady." Put in Theon when he noticed a bit of confusion upon Tyrion's face.

"Doesn't have a lady like bone within her I'm afraid." Added Jon

"Ahh, well, we can't pretend we are something that we are not." And if Theon wasn't mistaking, Tyrion gave a pointed look at Jon.

"Finally, someone who agrees with me." Arya stated triumphantly. The three men had themselves a bit of a chuckle. If only they could all be so carefree. After the shared moment of their laughter died down, there was a brief moment of awkward silence.

Jon managed to look from his sister, to Theon, back to his sister and finally back to Theon. "What are you two doing out here, anyway?" He asked.

Tyrion saw the suspicious look that Jon had given Theon. _Well, now that could be an interesting development. _The little man had thought with a small, little smirk twisting upon his lips.

The look wasn't lost on Theon either, and he raised an eyebrow that seemed to say, _do you really think that lowly of me?_ "Don't look at me, Robb saw her stumbling out here and pretty much ordered me to look after her."

Arya didn't really notice the exchange between the two boys, but she did give a bit of a huff at the thought that she needed to be looked after. "I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself. All of you should know that by now." Tyrion was amused to see that she actually gave a petulant pout. Given time he could definitely grow to like this girl. "And besides, I was only looking for you." Arya had said pointedly. "You were the one to disappear, Theon said you went to brood."

Tyrion let out another chuckle.

Theon, let out a small laugh himself. "Sorry." His tone showed that he was anything but.

Jon flashed them both a menacing scowl.

"Oh come on," Arya said pulling on her brother's arm. "Walk me to my room, before you and Theon go at it. Can't you two ever get along." She said as she started walking away from the group. "Good night Theon, Lord Tyrion" she called over her shoulder. She didn't wait for Jon, she knew he would catch up in a few moments.

Jon gave a bit of a sigh, "I suppose I have to follow her." He nodded to Theon, and then to Tyrion, "Lord Tyrion." And quickly followed his sister. He felt some relief that Theon would be left behind. Perhaps he was being the protective older brother, but he thought the two of them had been spending far to much time together.

Tyrion watched as the pair walked away, laughing and pushing each other as they went on. "So, those Stark girls… hmm?" He looked up to Theon, a knowing look played upon is face.

Theon was looking after them as well, his eyes mostly on Arya, and his memory playing with what had happened a few moments before. He practically jumped when the Imp addressed him. "Hmm.. What?"

"Do you fancy her?" He nodded towards where Arya had gone with her brother.

"Lord Stark would not be pleased." He said with a bitter laugh.

"True, but that doesn't really answer my question, now does it?" There was still that insufferable smile playing upon his face. "I would have thought Lady Sansa would have been more your type, the silent, classic beauty. But I can see where one might favor the younger. She's not exactly pretty in the way her sister is, but she does have a certain way about her, I'll give her that. And her spirit, now that, that I can see being the true attraction. Most men like a challenge and she would be a challenge to break." He was needling the boy, he knew it. Tyrion did so like to play with people.

"I doubt any man could break her. Nor should they try." Theon answered pointedly. This conversation was making him very uncomfortable, especially after what he had just experienced when he had gotten so close to Arya. "Besides, she grew up around me, she sees me like a brother."

"Again, you are evading the question, my young lord." Tyrion said simply. "You talk of how she feels about you, but what are your feelings for her?"

"I care for her." He paused for a moment. Theon would not admit to something that he wasn't sure about, not to anyone, especially about Arya, because that could only prove to disastrous. "As a brother should care for a sister." He said, but Tyrion could tell there was a little hesitancy there.

"Ah, yes of course." He said, but his tone indicated that he believed nothing of the sort. He knew what a young man in love looked like. He had been one once himself. "Nothing more then a sister." He was amused by the boys awkwardness. It was obvious this was a first for Theon and he was as confused as Tyrion had been when he first found out he loved a girl "Well, it's getting damned cold out here and I better get back in before Jaime kills me for leaving him alone with the Starks." Apparently Tyrion had no misgivings about offending anyone. "A bit of free advice though, I would stop visiting the whore house. A 'lady' doesn't approve of those things, nor would a Lady's highborn parents. And it wouldn't hurt to be a little nicer to the rest of the family." He said with a wink as he started to waddle his way back to the main hall.

Theon looked after him, the last little bit that Tyrion had said only proved to confuse him more. Hadn't he just told the Lannister that he didn't have any sort of romantic feelings towards Arya. Why did he insist on giving him advice he wouldn't choose to use, or even have any reason to use? But still it was worth thinking on, maybe he should start settling down, Lord Stark did look down on him visiting that damned brothel. He supposed a little respect for Jon wouldn't be the worst thing to show. He sighed as he felt the beginnings of a headache, he needed sleep. Maybe everything that involved Arya would make more sense in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Sorry I meant to get this up last Friday, but I got sick and just wasn't up to writing. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 4

The next few days were a blur of activity. There had been more formal announcements of Sansa and Joffery's betrothal and Ned being named the new Hand of the King. This meant that the men at arms and other servants who had been chosen to South with Ned were bustling around the Keep preparing for the long journey. Arya found herself just as busy as everyone else, but for a different reason. Her mother demanded that she entertain the Princess Myrcella, in the small hope that the two of them would become friends. Arya tried to explain to Catelyn that they had nothing in common and that forcing any sort of bond between the two of them would be difficult.

Arya even tried to suggest that Sansa would a better choice for keeping the Princess occupied. However her mother was quick to point out that Sansa would be busy preparing for her trip. The same trip that Arya was supposed to take, but had somehow talked her father into letting her stay at Winterfell. Catelyn was quick to remind her that since she did not have to go, she had plenty of time to spend with Myrcella. It was then that Arya realized she owed it to her parents to at least try to get along with the Princess. She had to admit that she hadn't expected her parents to give in so easily to her demands of not going to Kings Landing. She had a feeling that if she wasn't on her best behavior, at least until her father left, that they just might change their minds and force her to go anyway. She supposed a few days of activities she didn't enjoy was a small price to pay.

If Arya was being completely honest with herself, she should have been happy for the distraction. She didn't like thinking of the other changes Winterfell would go through once her father left. Not all of them were as pleasant as the thought of Sansa no longer being there. Since Arya would not be making the trip to Kings Landing, Bran would be taking her place. Her parents seemed intent on the idea that Starks and Baratheons should continue the tradition of friendship, by forcing their children to spend as much time together as they could. Since Robb did not seem fond of Joffery, Arya supposed her parents thought Bran might prove to bridge that gap of friendship. Arya would have thought that Sansa marrying the Prince would be enough, she didn't understand why her parents had to send Bran away too. Arya knew she would miss Bran, he was impossibly fun to tease, but he seemed excited about the adventure that going South might provide.

The harder goodbye would be Jon. Not long after the King's arrival her, uncle Benjen Stark, had arrived from the Wall. He was a ranger for the Night's Watch, and Jon had wanted to take the black for as long as Arya could remember. It was a dream would now come to fruition. It seemed that Benjen and Jon had finally managed to talk Ned into allowing him go to Castle Black. Arya knew this day had been a long time in coming. Being a bastard, Jon did not have many options. He would inherit no lands, no coin, and even though he would always be taken care of, and welcome at Winterfell, it would never truly be his home. Catelyn had always seen to that. It had always a point of contention between Arya and her mother, the way Jon was treated. Catelyn often thought that it was one of the reasons she found herself at odds with her youngest daughter so often.

That was just one of the many things Arya and her mother seemed to be at odd with. A gulf had grown between them in the past few years and it seemed to widen with each passing day. Theon was another one of those subjects that Arya knew would come between her and her mother. No matter how much she wanted to, Arya could not bring herself to confront Catelyn about her mother's fears concerning her friendship with Theon. Had her mother warned him against spending time with her? Had her mother noticed that at the feast a few nights before they had spent a fair amount of time together and had even spent a few moments alone? It had not gone unnoticed to Arya that since that night Theon had grown distant with her. But those were questions she dared not ask Catelyn about while there was still a chance that she could be sent to King's Landing with her father.

Luckily with Arya's busy schedule of needlepoint and tedious small talk with the Princess, she managed to keep her thoughts off those who would be leaving her and the one who seemed to be avoiding her. However, one morning, for the first time in three days, she found herself alone. The Queen had wanted to spend some time alone with her daughter and Sansa was too busy with her own interests to pay any attention to her sister. Arya felt a rush of freedom at the realization that she would have a few precious hours to herself. Her first thought was to hide herself outdoors, away from her mother's view, who would no doubt think she was getting into mischief if she didn't have anything productive to do.

Once outside she wandered into the main court yard which was especially busy with horses and men preparing to ride. The night before, King Robert had declared that he wanted to hunt, thus everyone made every effort to see that his wish came true. For a brief moment she longed to go with them only to remember that she would never be welcome, hunting was not an activity in which a proper would participate. To soothe herself she reminded herself that Winterfell would seem peaceful once the hunting party departed.

The keep had seemed crowded since the King had come with his family, his guard, and a host of other retainers. It would almost seem a blessing to have even a fraction of that number reduced. She watched over the bustle of the courtyard from an inconspicuous space near the stables, content with the fact that it wouldn't be long before things would quiet down, if only for a few hours. Her father seemed to be happy talking and joking with King Robert, it made her wonder about the two of them and what their friendship had endured over the years. She saw Jon and Robb, standing near Prince Joffery, the three of them clearly uncomfortable with each other. She doubted her brothers were intentionally ignoring Joffery, but the two seemed to be only talking to each other, while Joffery just glanced disdainfully in their direction every once in awhile.

She hadn't yet spied Theon in the throng of people, she knew he was supposed to be going with, but she supposed her father had sent him on some errand. She let her eyes wander from face to face for a few moments, hoping she would spot him. Maybe she could talk to him before they left, perhaps he would be able to tell her why he was ignoring her. When she could find no sign of him, she grew bored of watching the others milling about and simply slipped away from the main court yard to find the solace had been waiting for. It didn't take her too long to find a quieter area that wasn't seeing as much foot traffic. Sure she could hear the hubbub of the main court yard, but it seemed distant and for the first time in a few days she felt like she could breathe.

Arya let her feet guide her towards an old unused tower of the keep. She had rightly concluded that this area wouldn't be nearly as crowded as it normally was due the hunt. However, that did not mean that there would be _no_ interruptions to her solitude. Her interest was piqued when she heard a small whine coming from just around the curve of the tower. Arya quickly followed sound and when she rounded a the building she was confronted by Bran's dire wolf pup. She raised an eyebrow in amusement at the pathetic look that was playing on his features. She knelt down next to him, gently petting him on the head. "And what seems to be the problem with you boy?" It felt wrong not calling him by a name, but Bran had not yet picked one out for him.

Again the puppy whimpered, and he seemed to be staring at something up above her head. She craned her neck hopping to see what vexed the pup. She shaded her eyes against the morning sun and there she saw her brother Bran scaling the wall. He was nearly halfway up the tower. Arya couldn't help but look up in awe at her brother, he seemed fearless. In the back of her mind something was telling her that it was foolish for him to be climbing that hight, and she was just about to call for him to climb back down when the wolf pup whimpered again. It seemed Bran's wolf didn't like being left behind by his master.

"You better get down from there, little Lord Stark." A voice called, from behind Arya. "I know for a fact your mother made you promise not to go climbing again."

Arya stood up from Bran's wolf quickly and turned to stare at the voice's owner. "Theon!" She said with a smile, she couldn't help it, she was always happy when she saw him.

He was still looking up at Bran when she called his name, he had known she was there but he made a point to only focus on Bran. But when he heard her voice, his eyes automatically jumped to her direction. For a few seconds all he could do was stare at her. That uncomfortable, constricted feeling came to his heart. It was the same feeling he got every time he glanced her way for the past few days. It was why he had been avoiding her, he was still not yet ready to confront the feelings he seemed to be developing for her. He blinked his eyes once, when he realized that he had probably stared longer then would be considered polite, and then cleared his throat.

"Lady Arya." He responded to her, in an even, polite tone. Then quickly turned his eyes back to Bran. "Bran…"

"I'm coming!" Bran called back, disappointment dripping in his voice. But he was true to his words, he had already started descending down the wall.

Arya frowned at Theon's seemingly cold reaction, but quickly shook off the hurt to look up at her brother. It was true, if her mother found out that Bran had been up there she would be livid. Not that she could blame Bran for wanting to climb. When she thought she could get away with it, she would scale a few walls herself, but she had never ventured as high or as difficult climbs as he did. She would never admit it to him, or anyone else, but when it came to heights, Bran seemed to be the braver one. As she watched him now, she even had to admit that he was the more skilled climber.

It didn't take him long to get to a hight where he could simply jump the rest of the way down to where Arya and his dire wolf were. He gave Arya a big smile, then leaned down to give his pup a few pats on the head. Finally he let the smile fall from his face and looked sheepishly at Theon. "You're not going to tell my mother, are you?" His look was hopeful.

Theon gave a small sigh and then moved closer to the small group. He gave the younger boy a perplexed frown. His voice was reluctant. "No, I don't suppose I will." He shook his head slightly, but Arya could see there was a spark of amusement in his tone. "But you realize you're going to hurt yourself one of these days if you keep it up."

Arya grinned, "I doubt that. He seemed perfectly at ease scaling down that wall." She turned to look at the wall Bran had just challenged. "I doubt you could have done as well Lord Theon." Then turned back to look at him with a smirk.

"You might be right, but I also have the good sense to realize just how dangerous it is." Theon countered lightly. He allowed himself to glance her way, and for a brief moment it seemed like nothing had changed between the two of them. For just a second he thought maybe things could go back to the way they were. But then he realized that he had to force himself to look away from her. He didn't have to do that before he realized that she was no longer a little girl.

Theon practically gritted his teeth in frustration as he turned to Bran. "Anyway, your father asked me to come find you. I think he would like to say good bye before the hunting party leaves."

Bran didn't seem to have any clue as to what was going on between the two of them (to be fair, Arya didn't really understand it either), so he just nodded his head. "Alright." With that he beckoned his wolf and started to run towards the main court yard.

Once Bran was out of sight, Theon's body tensed with the realization that he was now alone with Arya. Without so much as a glance, he stiffly nodded his head in her direction. "Good day, Lady Arya." He wanted nothing more than to get away from her. Just being near her seemed to be a distraction, and the infatuation that he had seemed to catch when he was alone with before lingered. In fact it seemed to be growing in her presence. He needed to leave.

He was about ready to make his escape when she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Theon, have I done something wrong?" She looked at him her grey eyes full of confusion and hurt. She could tell that there had been change the way he felt about her, just from the cold way he treated her. She was no longer certain that it had anything to do with her mother's disapproval of their friendship.

Theon looked down to the hand she kept on his arm. He could feel the warmth of her touch even through the thickness of his shirt. He wanted to close his eyes and relish in that warmth, it seemed to radiate further within him the longer her hand stayed there. It took effort, but he made himself ignore the fact that she was touching him. Finally he brought his eyes back up to hers, even though he knew it was dangerous. He regretted the hurt he saw there.

He shook his head gently. "You haven't done anything."

Arya raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Oh?" She asked, a storm growing within those grey eyes, she felt she was being lied to. She didn't like being lied to, especially by someone she thought was a friend. "Is that why you have been avoiding me?"

Theon knew he couldn't brush this off, she wouldn't let him. He tried to think quickly, to think about what he could possibly say that would appease her. She was clouding his thoughts, so it was difficult. As the seconds went by, he could tell that she was getting more and more annoyed with him because there was no answer forthcoming. He needed to get away from her, it wasn't lost on him that he was finding her more and more attractive the angrier she seemed to become. Her cheeks flushed with a hint of pink and her lips trembled slightly in anger. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes from the storm that raged with in hers. She was holding him captive and she didn't even know it.

Finally he just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Sansa."

She looked taken aback by his reply, but only for a moment. In her mind it made sense, hadn't she even accused him of having feelings for Sansa a few nights ago. "Oh." Was all she managed to say, even that managed to sound hollow. Why had her stomach dropped when he had mentioned her sister's name? She recovered quickly enough to say, "I think I understand." She hoped that it had sounded sincere.

To him, the words most certainly had sounded sincere. And it felt like the equivalent of being punched in the gut. She hadn't even blinked when Sansa's name fell from his lips. Any kind of feelings he thought he might have detected from her that feast night were purely platonic. He quickly masked any disappointment his face might betray with his ever present smirk. "I'm sure you do." He pulled away from her quickly, for she hadn't lifted her hand from his arm. He felt a chill immediately as he lost the contact, but he resolved not to betray his feelings and turned quickly way. Calling over his shoulder. "Your father is expecting me. We'll talk when I get back." A promise he had no intention of keeping. He needed to stay away from her.

She dully nodded her head, only to realize he couldn't see her. He was out of sight before she could yell after him. She wasn't certain, but she had felt like something had shifted in their friendship, in those few moments that they had been alone. She felt a pang of sadness ripple through her heart. This change, whatever it was, it felt as if she were losing a friend, and her lips turned down in a frown.

Suddenly she felt a nudge upon her left hand. She looked down to see her own wolf pup trying to get her attention. She couldn't help but smile. Nymeria must have somehow gotten out of the kennel and sensed that Arya needed a friend. "Hello Nymeria." She said as she rested her hand on the wolf's head. "It seems you knew I needed some company." She let out a small sigh. "You know me pretty well girl." At least someone understood her. "Come on, let us go for a walk. Maybe it will help me clear my mind."

Nymira barked in agreement. Arya let out a small chuckle and let the wolf lead the way and thoughts of Theon were put to the back of her mind. It never occurred to her that she should have talked to her mother about what she had caught Bran doing earlier that day. She just concentrated on the small amount of freedom she had for the day.

—

It was a few hours later, Arya had figured it it was mid afternoon and she knew her time alone was coming to an end. She knew her mother excepted her back to start preparing for supper. Her stomach rumbled slightly, she was getting a bit hungry. Her mid-day meal had only been an apple and some crusty bread that she had managed to sneak from the kitchens. During the course of the day she found herself again within the Godswood. She was sitting lazily with her back against tree that stood near the weir tree. Usually it was a place she came to for peace, setting near the ancient tree with it's wizened face some how always brought her solace. She was probably one of the few people who felt that way, but it meant not many people would bother her here.

Arya let out a small sigh as she let her hand glide over Nymeria's back. "I think we should probably go back girl. Mother will likely be getting worried about me."

The wolf let out a little whine, as if to show she didn't much care for that idea. Arya smiled lightly, it almost seemed as if sometimes they could understand each other. "I know, I don't want to go back either. We'll probably have to play nice again." Arya frowned. "You'll have to be tied up in the kennels again." She moved her hand to scratch behind Nymeria's ears as if to say she was sorry. Arya's heart broke a little when she heard the defeated whine her wolf gave as a response. "I know, I know. But it shouldn't be for very much longer. Pretty soon all the visitors will be gone and you can have a little more freedom."

Nymeria nudged her muzzle against her cheek as if to say that she understood. Then she nudged Arya a second time. Arya looked at her and laughed. "Okay, okay girl, we'll get going." With that, Arya stood up slowly brushing off any stray leaves and dirt that had accumulated on her dress. She gave one last look toward the weir tree. The moment her eyes locked on to what was considered the 'eyes' of the tree, her skin prickled, like the air had been charged with an unseen force. She looked around quickly to see if anything was amiss in her little part of the wood. But everything on the surface seemed normal, Arya just couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

She looked down at Nymeria, who also seemed to sense something was amiss. Deep within the wolf's chest a slow, low rumble could be heard and in a few seconds it intensified into a full growl, until finally she barked. Nymeria's behavior only fed into Arya's rising panic. "What is it girl?" Arya looked around the clearing wondering if there was someone lurking in the trees of the wood. Again, everything seemed normal.

She combed her mind desperately trying to figure out why everything seemed to feel so wrong. She was wondering what her next move would be when Nymeria seemed to have decided it for her. The wolf pup suddenly took off toward Winterfell. Without another thought, Arya ran after her.

With how fast she could run, it didn't take her long to make it back to the keep. Winterfell was her home and she was supposed to feel safe there, but that feeling of safety would not come. Despite the fact that everything around her was normal, she knew that something bad had happened. Her first thoughts were of her brothers and her father, of those who had gone on the hunt. She franticly careened towards the main house, knowing that if there was any news there was the place she would get it. However before she could reach it there was a loud scream coming from the keep's oldest tower. The one Bran had been climbing earlier. Instantly she turned towards the sound, she thought it had sounded like her mother. The fear was growing sharper within her heart.

By the time she reached the tower she had to push her way through a small crowd of servants. At the center of it all, she found her mother huddled on the ground next to what Arya thought was a body. Bran's wolf was also there, walking back and forth growling at anyone who dared come close to the two figures. Arya's heart started to pound as she looked upon the scene. It wasn't hard for Arya to figure out that the broken figure beside her mother was Bran. She shuddered realizing that the boy must have fallen while trying to climb the old tower.

What happened next was a blur. Sansa must have heard the commotion and came to see what was the matter. Once she saw her brother's broken body she grabbed Arya's hand. Arya was so numb she could barely feel it. Maester Luwin had been summoned almost immediately. Thankfully Bran's wolf let him near so he could examine the boy. Someone must have called for Septa Mordane, because she had started to pull Sansa and Arya away from the scene. Arya could hardly hear anything beside the dull roar in her ears. She seemed confused, the worry she felt for her brother making her unable to think, her fear was starting to rule her thoughts. She felt so helpless, she wasn't sure if he was dead, and even if he was still alive she couldn't do anything to help him. She screamed silently within her head. She let the Septa slowly lead them away.

The moment before she was out of earshot she received a brief second of clarity. She heard the three words that gave her all the hope she needed to get through the next few hours.

"He lives still." The Maester said calmly.

Her brother was a wolf of Winterfell, like herself. He would fight. He would live. She knew it.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Thank you everyone again for reading, and to those of you who have left reviews. Andi, I'm happy your enjoying the story I hope you continue to do so! And for the record I always thought Theon was a character who could have been so much more too. He's truly one of the more tragic characters in the series.

**Chapter Five**

Since Bran's accident the atmosphere around Winterfell had grown subdued. People were still rushing about, doing their duties, but it was all with a hushed quality. The air was filled with tension and it felt like the slightest sound would shatter the tentative calm. No one wanted to be loud out of respect for the sick. The Stark family and those who lived at Winterfell all seemed to be waiting with baited breath to see when Bran would wake.

The sitting around and waiting was driving Arya crazy. She longed to have something to distract her, but everyone seemed to be busy with something else, finding their own distractions. Even her forced time with Myrcella had been cut short. It seemed the Queen had wanted her children close to her since Bran's accident. Sansa and her father were still preparing for the journey to Kings Landing. They would still be going. The King still needed Ned and there was really nothing they could do for Bran except wait. He could do that in Kings Landing. So, they would be leaving in only a few days time. So would Jon. Robb had been spending as much time as he could with Ned before he left, receiving last minute instructions on how Winterfell should be run in his absence. Theon most likely would be shadowing Robb. And Catelyn, the one person who would gladly give Arya ideas on what she could do, hadn't left Bran's side, she didn't seem overly concerned about what Arya or even Rickon, did with their time.

Arya felt a little lost. Most of the time she found herself sitting on the fence that surrounded the kennels. All of the wolves seemed restless too. Catelyn had forbidden Bran's wolf from staying with Bran and the wolf paced back and forth like a sentry below Bran's window. All the other wolves seemed to want to be near their masters, as if they were afraid the rest of Ned's children would meet the same fate as Bran. Although, sometimes having the wolves around them at all times wasn't possible. The children had resorted to keeping them in the kennels when duty wouldn't allow the wolves to be with them. This only served to agitate them more. Arya thought that it would help them if at least someone from the family was near them.

Today Robb's wolf, Grey Wind, and Jon's, Ghost, had been forced to stay within the confines of the kennel. Since Arya was there, Nymeria was too. The three of them playfully nipped at one another as Arya sat on the wooden fence that surrounded the area. She watched as they ran around, her mind not really there, her thoughts on her brother who seemed to be in an endless sleep.

She didn't hear him approach, rather she felt Theon's presence the moment he leaned on the fence next to where she sat. His elbows propped on the wood as he too looked at the wolf pups. Neither of them said anything, nor did they look at each other, there wasn't any need. She practically sighed in relief that he was there. One would have thought that any silence would be awkward after the last time they had been alone together, but Bran's accident seemed to have made them forget what had happened. For now they seemed comfortable enough with each other. She shifted slightly so that her arm made contact with his as if to thank him. She appreciated that he had sought her out and that he was putting whatever problem they seemed to be having with each other aside for the moment. They stayed that way awhile, silently soaking in each other's company.

Finally, when Arya did speak, her voice was subdued. "Do you think we should have told my mother?"

He turned his head slightly so he could see her from the corner of his eye. "What? That we saw him climbing that morning?"

Her gaze remained on the wolves, but she nodded her head.

"Do you think it would have done any good?" He asked.

She let out a small sigh. "No I don't suppose it would have." Despite her words she still wore a defeated look. "Mother would have scolded him, he would have promised not to climb, and as soon as he was out of her sight he would have been right back at it."

"Aye," Theon nodded in agreement. "You Starks do have a streak of stubbornness in you."

There was a ghost of a smile that flitted across her lips. "That's how I know he's going to be okay," she said quietly. With that they fell into their comfortable silence again for a few moments before she blurted our, "I've missed you, you know."

A small chuckle escaped his lips, "yeah, I know." He shrugged his shoulders as if his avoidance had meant nothing. "I'm here now, though." He wasn't even sure why he was there. It wasn't as if he started off the morning seeking her out. It almost seemed as if there was some sort of unseen force drawing him to her. He wondered if it was because he thought he could give her some comfort while she worried about her brother. He almost laughed aloud at that notion. Arya Stark didn't seem to need anyone. Whatever it was, he was with her now and that was what mattered.

Ayra was just about to ask him a question, when a timid voice called out to her, "Arya?"

Arya turned her attention away from Theon, and was surprised to see that it was Princess Myrcella who had beaconed her. She quickly jumped off the fence as she felt Theon straighten up from his slouch, both of them trying to show the Princess a little respect. Arya was the first to speak up. "Hello Princess, is there something I can help you with?"

Myrcella looked from Arya to Theon then back to Arya and shyly shook her head. "No, I just came to see the wolf pups. And I thought maybe you would be here too. I haven't seen much of you since Bran had his accident, and I was wondering if you were alright. I didn't realize you would already have company. I'm sorry if I was interrupting anything."

"Oh," answered Arya a bit stunned. She looked up at Theon, who just shrugged his shoulders with a small grin playing upon his lips. "It's okay, you weren't interrupting."

Theon nodded his head in agreement. "I was just checking up on her, too."

"Of course." Princess Myrcella paused awkwardly for a moment. "My Uncle Tyrion says that Bran isn't going to die. That the Maester said now all anyone had to do was wait for him to wake up. I hope he does so soon. I've been praying to the Seven to make it so. I know that the Starks hold to the Old Gods, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to pray to mine as well…" She trailed off realize that she was rambling.

Arya couldn't help but smile a little. "It's okay my mother honors the Seven. Thank you."

Myrcella nodded her head. "I also wanted a chance to say goodbye before we left. My mother went to pay respects to Bran and I was able to slip away for a little bit. I had hoped that you would change your mind and go with your father, I enjoyed spending time with you."

Arya was surprised that she found the Princess to be sincere. "You did?"

This time it was Myrcella who wore the amused smile. "Of course. I know you weren't all that impressed with the afternoon teas and the needle point, but I enjoyed spending time with someone closer to my own age. Usually I only have my brothers or mother for company. It was a nice change. I wish we had more of a chance to become friends."

Arya stared agape at the Princess. Theon chuckled quietly the sight. "You'll have to forgive her Princess," he said lightly, "she's not used to people actually wanting to be around her."

Arya turned to give Theon a glare and almost stuck her tongue out at him before she realized how childish that would seem. She quickly gave her attention back to Myrcella, becoming serious. She had been selfish not to realize how lonely life as a princess might have been. She had been so caught up in the fact that she was being forced to spend time with Myrcella that she hadn't realized that girl might have been craving a friend. She regretted not having tried harder now that it was too late. She had let her dislike of Joffery and Cersei get in the way of truly reaching out to Myrcella.

"I wish we could have become friends, too." Arya said to the Princess. Then as an after thought, "but I'm sure you'll find time to befriend Sansa. She's much nicer then me!"

"It's true." Theon said with an amused smirk.

"Shut up." Arya responded with gritted teeth as she elbowed his stomach. He grunted lightly and faked an wounded expression, to which she rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to agree with me."

Myrcella giggled quietly at the two of them. "You two seem close. That afternoon…" She paused a moment as Bran entered her thoughts again, "that afternoon of Bran's accident, I tried to look for you, but I couldn't find you. Were the two of you spending time together?"

"What?" Arya asked she could feel her cheeks redden slightly at what the Princess seemed to be implying.

"Er, that is, uh…" Theon said as he took a step to distance himself from Arya, the thought Myrcella might be getting the wrong idea about the two of them. "That is, no of course we weren't together. I was with the hunting party that afternoon."

The Princess just looked at them with raised eyebrows before realizing what it was they thought she meant. "Oh, no I didn't mean like _that._ Of course not like that, that would be improper. I just meant I thought that you two seemed like good friends is all."

Arya was still red faced. She wasn't certain the situation could have gotten any more awkward. She needed to say something quick to get them all focused on anything other than her and Theon. "I… uh… I'm sorry. I was out walking the day Bran fell. I was under the impression that you wouldn't need my company because your mother wanted to spend the day with you."

Myrcella shrugged her shoulders. "She did, but in the afternoon she had a headache and she said she needed to rest, so she sent me away. I had hoped to find you, but now I wish I had found Bran instead. Maybe he wouldn't have been climbing if he had to keep me company."

Theon and Arya exchanged a look before Arya responded. "It isn't your fault he fell Princess."

Myrcella nodded and then with a sigh said, "I suppose I should get back before my mother gets worried." And with that she stepped closer to Arya and suddenly gave her a hug "I hope we meet again someday. Perhaps we really can become friends." With that said

Arya returned the hug awkwardly. "I uh… hope so too." She glared at Theon who stood their silently laughing at the two of them.

Finally Myrcella pulled away with a smile. "And I hope Bran gets better soon." She turned her attention Theon and gave him a small nod. "It was nice to meet you, too, Lord Theon. Goodbye Arya."

As they watched the Princess walk away, Arya appeared thoughtful as an air of seriousness came back to the two. "There is something incredibly sad about that girl."

He found that he had to agree with Arya and he couldn't help but wonder if it was because Myrcella reminded him of just how little freedom he had. How little any of them had. Theon once again lounged against the fence, now that he didn't have to show respect that was due a princess. With a shrug of his shoulders, he crossed his arms and looked down at his boots. "You know how constricting the life of a noble born girl can be. Imagine how much worse it must be for her."

"You have a point." She studied him carefully. His expression betrayed a seriousness that she had only seen in him when he thought no one was looking at him. "You've gotten morose all the sudden." She said a bit perplexed. She moved that she stood in front of him, in fairly close proximity so that he would be forced to look at her.

"There's much to be morose about," he shrugged off her concern.

"You're that worried about Bran?"

He frowned slightly at that. "You seem surprised by that."

Her frown mirrored his, she hadn't meant to hurt him by that. Without thinking she raised her hand to his brow. When ever he got upset about something she noticed a furrow that would appear there, and now she let her fingers gently trace it as if she could make it go away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by that. Of course you are worried about him."

As her hand ghosted over his skin he sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. He didn't trust himself to keep eye contact with her, not with her this close and definitely not with her touching him. He allowed himself to relish in her touch if only for a second. How could such a fierce little girl have such a soft touch?

He wanted to tell her that it was okay, that he accepted her apology, but what came out when he finally forced himself to talk surprised him. "My lady," he said softly, "you really shouldn't touch me like that." He mentally prepared himself to meet her gaze and then opened his eyes so he could confront her. He moved quickly to grab her wrist, forcing her fingers to break contact with his brow.

Arya was taken aback by the intensity of his gaze when he opened his eyes, it made her heart beat faster. She doubted she could turn away from him at that moment even if she wanted to. "Why shouldn't I?" Her tone seemed to challenge him.

"Because, I can't…" He started, but before he could finish they were interrupted.

"What is going on here?" They both turned to see Jon glowering at them accusingly.

For a moment everything seemed to come to a stand still and the two of them looked like a couple of guilty children who had been caught doing something they knew they shouldn't be doing. Then realization seemed to hit them, and almost instantaneously Theon dropped her wrist and Arya backed away from him.

"This isn't what it looks like," but those words seemed ridiculously hollow in Thoen's ears.

In response to those words, Jon simply glared at Theon, then turned his disapproving look to Arya. The words he said however were directed to Theon. "Robb is looking for you and I'd like to have a few words alone with my sister."

Arya looked like she wanted to argue, but Theon stepped into motion before she could. "Fair enough." He said with a hint of fake cheerfulness in his voice. "Arya." He nodded in her direction, but he didn't dare look at her. He gave Jon a smirk, "and Jon, I'm sure I'll talk to you later." And with that he sauntered easily in the direction of the keep. He desperately hoped that he covered his worry up, he knew that Jon would have thought a line had been crossed. Hopefully Arya could talk to him and let him know that nothing had happened, even though he had a feeling things might have intensified if Jon hadn't interrupted. In hindsight, maybe it was a good thing Jon had shown up.

Arya just watched him go her, thoughts jumbled and confused. What in the Seven Hells just happened there? She couldn't seem to calm her wildly beating heart. What was beyond her reasoning to understand was that it was Theon Greyjoy's making her heart jump. This wasn't supposed to happen to her. Wasn't Sansa the one to go all moony eyed over boys?

Jon however did not seem to be in the mood for her silence, nor the fact that she seemed to be blatantly ignoring him. "Arya, what did I interrupt?" It was the second time he had asked it, but it seemed she hadn't heard him, as she was to busy staring in the direction that Theon had walked off in.

"Hmm?" She finally turned her attention to him.

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he asked, "Theon… what were you doing with him?"

For a moment Arya said nothing, her glare was enough to let Jon know that this conversation was not one that she wished not to have, "we were talking." She stated.

"Talking?" Jon asked in disbelief. "It looked a lot more intimate then that."

"He is my friend Jon." Her tone seemed dare him to find fault in that. "He was concerned for me and how I was coping with Bran's condition. Which is more then I can say for a lot of other people." She looked pointedly at him when she said this.

His frowned deepened at her accusation. "That's not fair. I've been busy, you know that. I'm sorry I haven't found time to look after you." He shook his head in frustration, "but that's not the point! You shouldn't be spending time alone with him. He's dangerous-"

"Dangerous?" Arya scoffed. "You have got to be joking. Theon Greyjoy? The boy we both grew up with? What makes you think he could possibly hurt me in any way? Or that I would even let him. He is my _friend _Jon. Do you not get that?"

"Friends don't look at each other the way you two looked at each other, Arya." Jon shook his head. "You're young, you don't get what boy… what young men like him… you don't…" He seemed to have trouble talking to his little sister about this topic, especially since at the moment the discussion pertained to her. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, just stay away from him okay? At least don't spend so much alone time with him."

"Did you really just order me to stay away from him?" Her look of disbelief told him just what she thought of that idea. "What makes you think you have a say in who I spend my time with. What makes you think you have the right to act like the overprotective, older brother, especially now that you're going to be leaving?" She pointed at him accusingly. "You gave up that right when you decided you'd rather be a sworn brother of the Night's Watch."

Her words hurt him more then if she had slapped him across the face. "That's not fair. Did Uncle Benjen stop being father's brother when he took the oath?" He waited until he saw her shake her head no before he continued. "It's not going to stop me, either."

"No, but you're still leaving us." Arya stated. "Right when we need you most. Father is leaving and taking Sansa with him. Bran…" she faltered a little. "We don't know what is going to happen to him. Why do you have to go too?" With her last question she seemed to let some of the anger she felt toward him leave.

Jon seemed to have calmed a little too. "It's time for me to go Arya. You know I can't stay here forever. I make your mother uncomfortable." He held up a hand to forestall her protests. "It makes me uncomfortable. You always knew my intentions were to take the Black. It's where I belong."

"But couldn't you wait, at least until Bran wakes?"

He gave her a small sad smile. "Life has to go on, Bran won't wake up any faster if I'm here or not."

Arya frowned, even though she knew he was right.

"But I didn't come looking for you to pick a fight." Jon said. "I have something for you." This time he allowed a genuine smile to grace his lips.

Her eyes brightened suddenly. "Really? What?" She eyed a something in his left hand that she hadn't noticed before because her thoughts were occupied elsewhere. It was something long and skinny and wrapped in a coarse cloth.

"I had it made especially for you." He said as he held up the oddly wrapped present. "Think of it as a goodbye gift." Slowly he unwrapped the cloth to reveal a small, thin sword. "This is no practice sword, it's the real thing." He said, as he tentatively held it out to her.

She took it gently in her hand. "It's so skinny."

"Like you." He laughed. "You're going to have to practice using it. I told Father I was giving you this, and he agrees that if you're going to have a sword you're going to have to know how to wield it properly. Robb or Theon, or even Ser Rodrik are not going to be able to teach you properly. You're too slight of build to use the normal Westerosi style of fighting. Father says that once he's in King's Landing he'll be able to find someone who might be willing to teach you a style that might be more suitable and he'll send him along to Winterfell But in the mean time, remember the first lesson I taught you…"

"Stick them with the pointy end!" Ayra laughed. "I remember."

He chuckled with her. "Also remember that all the best swords have names, so you'll have to think of a good one."

She looked down at her new blade, staying quiet for a moment while she gave it some thought. "Well, it's long and skinny, kind of like a needle."

"I think you have your name then." He said with a smile. "Needle."

She gave him a smile, their fight from before now, all but forgotten. "Thank you Jon. I love it."

"I knew you would." He handed her the cloth that held Needle and watched as she gingerly wrapped it back up.

Once it seemed to be safely covered she set it on the ground, propped up against one of the fence posts. When she straightened up she jumped into Jon's arms and gave him a big hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too." He said with a chuckle as he returned her hug. She may have been growing up, and he might not be able to do anything to stop that, but she wasn't too grown up or reserved not to give her brother a big bear hug. Once she pulled away, he gave her a careful look, "now about Theon."

"Stop." Her grey eyes clouded over. "We dropped that subject. Don't ruin this perfect brother, sister moment with your needless worrying."

He held up is hands as if he was surrendering, "okay, okay. Just promise me you'll carry your Needle when you are around him. He'll be less likely to try something if you are armed."

"It astounds me to know how little faith you have in him." Arya said with a small sigh, but she let her lips curve up into a smile. It was sweet that Jon was worried for her, even if he had no reason to, she doubted Theon could ever hurt her in the way Jon had implied.

"Only when it comes to my favorite little sister." He raised his hand and ruffled her hair and laughed as she tried to duck away from him. "Come on, I'll walk you back." He waited for her to collect her sword, and then the two of them set out for the main house.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Again everyone thank you for reading. I had a little bit of difficulty with this chapter. I've not been feeling well again, and had a bit of writers block. But I managed to get it out. Jean d'arc, I'm happy you enjoyed the previous chapter. I was only going to use Myrcella to give the Starks another reason to be suspicious of Cersei a little later, but I enjoyed writing her so much, I did think about putting her in the story later. I'm not sure how that will work, but I'll see what I can do, I might have to change some things around. Or maybe I could a companion piece that would involve her more. I don't know. Anyways, thanks for reading!

**Chapter 6**

_It was several weeks after Lord Eddard Stark had left for Kings Landing and things around Winterfell had started to get better. Bran had woken, and while Maester Luwin said recovery would be a long and difficult road for the young Stark, he had no doubt he would recover fully. The mood of the keep was considerably lightened. Especially after they had received a raven from King's Landing saying that everyone had arrived safe and sound, with no troubles along the King's Road. Sansa seemed to be settling into life at court with ease, and even Ned was finding the transition to King's Hand easier then expected. Everything seemed to be perfect, that was until the raven came from Pyke._

_It seemed Lord Balon Greyjoy had wanted his son back, and was able to broker his return to the Iron Islands. They raven's letter did not say how Lord Stark had been persuaded to allow Theon to return home, it just said that Balon expected his son home in a few weeks time. A prospect that should have made Theon happy, but he felt numb. Balon might have been his blood, but the only man who had raised him was Eddard Stark. He grew up in Winterfell, it was the only home he knew, but it was not his, and now he would be sent to a place he could barely remember. He would be leaving behind so much, Robb and the other Stark boys, they were his true brothers. _

_Then…then there was Arya. The one Stark he wasn't sure how he could leave behind. His heart constricted at the thought that he might never see her again once he left. Or if he did see her, she would probably belong to someone else. At least while he lived at Winterfell he could be near her, even if he could expect nothing to become of his infatuation. But now knowing that he would have to leave her, he avoided her at all costs. He could not trust himself to be around her. He feared he would either gather his courage and express his feelings for her, and she would reject him or worse laugh at him. Or he was afraid he would treat her with harsh, cold words to push her away from him, and he couldn't bear her hurt expression or her anger. So he took the cowards way out, and hid in his room under the guise that he had to prepare for home._

_That was where she found him. Arya barged into his room without so much as a knock and slammed the door shut behind her. "WHENE WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME?" She shouted at him, her cheeks were red with fury, her eyes flashed with anger directed solely at him._

_"__Tell you what," Theon asked carefully, "exactly?"_

_Her eyes narrowed at his feigned innocence. She lowered her voice so that she no longer yelled, but she still sounded dangerous. "It was bad enough that Robb had to tell me you were going home." She saw that he was about to open his mouth, probably to apologize, but at that moment she didn't want to hear it. "But this!? Is this why you've been hiding in your room?" Arya sneered as she shoved a slip of parchment at him and he fumbled to catch it._

_"__Arya.." He tried as his eyes looked down at the crumbled parchment, he tried to focus on the words, but he found it difficult with the angry girl standing before him. He was embarrassed to see that his hand shook slightly. Gods she could terrify him at times like this. "I don't even know…"_

_"__Don't you try to talk your way out of this one Theon Greyjoy." She motioned with disgust at the letter. "We got a raven from King's Landing today. It seems your father and my father have come to an arrangement."_

_Theon blinked at the word arrangement, could the letter he held in his hands possibly be what he thought it meant. His heart lurched in his chest. If it was, it would all make sense, why he was suddenly called back to Pyke, why Lord Stark had agreed to let him go. His mouth went dry and suddenly he felt nervous. His voice was slightly above a whisper. "What arrangement are you talking about Arya?"_

_She moved closer to him. Her index finger extended and she jabbed him roughly in the chest. "Don't pretend you don't know about it. I'm to go with you to the Iron Islands. I'm to become your wife. I'm to be used as a pawn in the games the great houses play. We both are! They're using us to unite our houses, to make sure there won't be another uprising. And you are standing there, calm as can be, like you're okay with all of this! Damn it Theon, say something!"_

_He wasn't calm, he was the furthest thing from calm. Everything he had ever wanted, it was finally going to happen. She was going to be his, and he would give himself completely to her. "I didn't know. My father, he didn't tell me in his letter." He murmured._

_"__Oh." That seemed to take some of the anger away. She could tell he was telling the truth. But she was still angry, even if it wasn't with him, it wasn't his fault they were being forced into marriage. "But why aren't you upset over this? They're forcing us into this!"_

_"__It's simple, I don't care." He said quietly, stunned that he actually said the words out loud._

_"__How can you not care?" she scoffed, not seeming to get his meaning. "You're telling me that you don't mind being stuck with-"_

_"__I. Don't. Care." This time he said it with a little more conviction. With each word he took a step closer to her, and she backed up with each of his steps. Her eyes widened with slow understanding as he kept talking. "Don't pretend you haven't noticed what has been going on between us. Stop playing so innocent. It doesn't suit you Arya. I've started to fall in love with you, and you might not want to admit it, even to yourself, but you have feelings for me too." Finally he backed her up to the door she had slammed when she entered his room._

_For once she didn't seem to know what to say to him, so he continued. "So, Arya Stark, to answer your question. I don't care, if I'm being used, because it means, for the first time, that I get what I want. Who, I want." He raised his hands so that they rested on her waist, pressing his body lightly against hers. "I get you." He could tell she was about to say something, but he didn't want to give her the chance to ruin the moment before he had the chance to do what he was about to do. He leaned down, bringing his lips lightly to hers._

_At first she was hesitant to return the kiss. He could tell, and his heart sunk. His grand declaration was all for naught. He had read her signals wrong, she didn't want him, the same way that he wanted her. His only consolation was that he had at least gathered his courage to tell her how he felt. He started to pull away from her, but just as he was about to break the kiss, her arms snaked around his neck, keeping him in place. It took a second for him to realize that she had started to kiss him back. Once that realization hit he took it as an invitation to deepen the kiss. After a moment they both needed to breathe so they parted, both of them reluctant to do so. Breathless they simply stared at each other, they had nothing to say to each other. Their eyes said it all, she hadn't said the words like he had, but he knew that she loved him._

_He leaned in for another kiss and she met him halfway there. Their kisses soon became a bit frantic as they started to lose themselves, clumsily she broke away from him and started to tug at his shirt as if she wanted to take it off of him. He took his hands from her waist and took her hands in his. His eyes smoldered as he looked at her, but his voice was serious. "Are you sure you want this?"_

_"__I'm sure," she said quietly and as if to prove that she was sincere she lifted his shirt up his torso and he helped to slip the rest of it off. For a moment nothing happened as she studied his bare chest, then shyly she let her finger tips touch him, and he shivered slightly. He doubted he could ever get sick of that touch. She let her hands slide up to his shoulders and rested them there, her eyes looking to him to make the next move. She was out of her depth, and she had no idea what she was doing._

_He smiled a little at her innocence, it was the first time he had ever seen her so uncertain over anything. He loved his fierce little wolf, but he didn't mind this side of her either. Especially if he was the only one who got to see it. He raised his hand to her cheek, as if touching her to make sure that this was indeed happening, once he seemed satisfied that it was real, he moved his hand to brush the hair away from her neck. He leaned down to give her a small kiss on the lips again, but pulled away before it could deepen. It seemed like she was about to protest that move, but he slid his arms, wrapping around her in a hug. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, letting his lips brush against it in a a light kiss._

_"__Theon…" she whispered breathlessly._

_He smirked a little, hearing his name like that escape her lips. He wanted to hear it again, so once more he kissed the side of her neck._

_"__Theon!" He paused a moment, realizing the tone of her voice had changed. Confused he lifted his head so he could look at her, hoping nothing was wrong._

"THEON, WAKE UP." Yelled an amused Robb Stark from the door of Theon's room.

With that, Theon jolted up in his bed, his face was pale with realization, he had just dreamed about Arya Stark. Seven hells, what was that girl doing to him? He rubbed his eyes, with the heal of his hands, trying to wake himself up even more. That and so he wouldn't have to have any sort of eye contact with Robb. He was a little embarrassed that he had just dreamed _that_ sort of dream about his best friend's little sister. He didn't need Robb to get wind of his strange feelings for Arya, it was already bad enough Jon wanted to kill him.

"Must have been some dream?" Robb said as he leaned against the door frame. "It took forever to wake you."

"You really don't want to know." Theon muttered. He really, really did not want to talk about this, not to anyone, and definitely not to Robb. So instead he put on his most annoyed face and gave his friend a glare. "Why are you hear waking me up anyway?"

"We were supposed to meet in the practice yard this morning. Remember?" Robb said, and when Theon still had a blank face he realized the boy had forgotten. "We were suppose to spar. We wanted to get some practice in before my Father leaves." He laughed a little as his friend still showed no recognition. "What's been wrong with you lately Theon, your head has been elsewhere for the past week or two?"

Nervously, Theon scratched the back of his neck. Had he really been acting differently? "Nothing's wrong."

Robb shrugged his shoulders, clearly not believing him. "If you say so."

"Look," Theon sighed in frustration as she started to disentangle himself from his sheets. "Give me a minute, I'll get ready to practice."

"Don't worry about it. It's almost time to break our fast anyway." Robb said straitening up. "We'll have time to practice later. Don't forget Father and Sansa leave in just a few hours along with the Royal family. We're all expected to be there to say our good byes." He said in away that said he wanted to do anything but say good bye to Winterfell's guests.

"At least they won't be here after this morning." Theon offered lightly.

"Just don't be late." Robb muttered as he moved to leave the room.

"Hey," Theon called before Robb closed the door, "any change with Bran?"

Robb frowned slightly, "no, not yet."

—

For the next hour or so, Theon went through the motions of getting ready for the day. The dream was what was foremost in his mind. He couldn't seem to get the implications of what it meant out of his mind. He had accepted the fact that his feelings for Arya were far more then just friendship. But in that dream he had used that four letter word that started with L. Now he was fairly certain that he didn't love her, at least not yet. Unless his feelings for her had started growing long before he even acknowledged them. Either way, the word love used in respect to Arya terrified him.

Frustrated by the whole situation, he resolved not to think about it. He could admit that in the dream, he was happy, everything seemed to work out, Bran was okay, Arya returned his feelings, and Lord Stark agreed to him marrying her. But that was all it was, a dream, and Theon was a realist. Reality rarely turned out so nice. So he wouldn't torture himself by thinking of a future that couldn't happen. He pushed all thoughts of the dream to the back of his mind. He would do what he did best, hide his feelings behind a smile.

Which is exactly what he did as he made his way out to the main courtyard, where almost everyone had gathered to say good byes. His gaze was instantly drawn to where Arya stood with her father and most of her siblings, Bran and Catelyn were noticeably missing from the scene. Mentally he kicked himself, she really shouldn't be first thing he sought out if he wanted to rid himself of this infatuation. Unfortunately she glanced his way before he could turn away and favored him with a smile. He thought about ignoring her completely, but he knew that would just anger her. If he angered her he knew she would seek him out and force him to confront his feelings for her. Just like he almost did that day before Jon interrupted them. That was not conducive to his plan of not thinking about Arya. So instead he gave her a small wink and a nod to acknowledge her and then quickly broke eye contact. Thankfully there was enough going on around them to keep his attention off of her.

For Arya's part, her thoughts weren't on Theon that morning. At least not as much as his thoughts were on her. He was always there, in her mind, even if it was just background thoughts, but today she was centered on her family and the fact that part of it would be leaving her. For awhile she stood uncharacteristically quiet while her father stood talking with Robb and Jon. But it was hard waiting for her father to finish saying his good byes to her brothers and she turned to Sansa.

"I hope everything goes okay for you in King's Landing." She blurted out to her sister. She hadn't meant to have a long goodbye with Sansa, but she supposed she should offer her sister something. After all she didn't know when the next time she would see her would be.

Sansa looked a bit surprised. "Oh, thank you." There was an awkward silence. "I uh… I will miss you."

Arya couldn't help but laugh a little bit. "No you won't." She said.

Her sister couldn't help but smile a little at that either. "No, I probably won't." She admitted. "But at the very least I might be a little bored without you. You do manage to make things a bit more exciting."

Arya nodded in agreement. "I'll probably be bored without you to annoy." She paused a moment. "But you'll be fine Sansa, you were born for this."

"To be Queen?" Sansa quirked an eyebrow, amused at her sisters expense.

Arya rolled her eyes. "I don't know about that. But you'll be able to fit in at Court. You were always better at all that stuff then I was."

"Which is why you get to stay at home." Sansa said, and even though she tried to hide it, there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "I cannot say that at least a small part of me wished I could stay too."

"Don't worry," Arya patted her sister's shoulder gently. "You'll have father with you. I think he'll have a harder time adapting then you." She smiled at Sansa reassuringly. "It'll be good that you'll be there to help him."

It was all the two seemed to be able to say to each other. To be honest, it was all they needed. They were never close, but they were still family, and there was still that love there. Even when Sansa married and became a Baratheon she would always be a Stark in Arya's eyes. So they stayed quiet in each other's company until it seemed that Lord Stark was ready to say good bye to his youngest daughter.

At the last second before Arya moved to go to her father's side, Sansa grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Good bye Arya."

Arya squeezed back, a small show of sisterly affection. "Good bye." In that moment for some reason, much like the same feeling she got back when she had been in the godswood the day of Bran's accident, a small seed of fear sprouted in her stomach. Almost like she might never see her sister again. She gripped her sister's hand almost like she was afraid to let her go. She knew it was irrational, that she was overly worried about her family after what had happened to Bran, but the feeling was hard to shake.

"Please, Sansa, promise me you'll be careful." She whispered. "The Southron ways are different then ours, remember where your from."

Sansa seemed to be taken aback by Arya's words and wasn't sure how to respond. All she could do was nod her head to let her sister know that she had heard and understood what Arya was trying to say. Finally she said, "Father's waiting for you." And slipped her hand away from her sister's and then as an after thought, "stay safe Arya." It seemed that some of Arya's fear was creeping into her as well.

Arya simply nodded her head as she moved away from Sansa. It seemed Robb wanted a chance to say good bye to their sister and he took the place that Arya had just vacated. When Arya reached her father, some of the fear she had been feeling subsided and she was able to give her father a small smile. "I wish you didn't have to go." She said simply.

"_I_ wish I didn't have to go." Ned said quietly.

"How long do you think you'll have to be gone?" Arya asked.

"I don't know. For as long as the King needs me, I suppose." Her father sighed. "But it won't be long until we see each other." He glanced over at his oldest daughter. "A wedding will have to be planned soon and you'll have to travel South for that event." He paused a moment and then looked at Arya. "Your mother is going to need your help. Much of her time will be spent with Bran, and when he wakes he's going to need a lot of her care and attention."

Dully, Arya nodded her head. "I know, I'll do my best. I won't let you down Father."

Finally he allowed himself to smile, "I know, Little One."

"My lord," said a servant tentatively. He was loath to interrupt the good byes between father and daughter but he had a message from the King, that couldn't wait.

Ned looked to the servant expectantly, "go ahead."

"The King says he's ready to go." The servant said. "He says he'll be expecting the rest of your party shortly. I believe he's in a hurry to get underway."

"Of course." Ned's tone was reluctant, he hated having to leave his family behind, and it didn't seem like he had a long enough time to say good bye to his children. With a wave of his hand he dismissed the servant and looked back at his daughter.

Without waiting for him to say anything, she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a hug. "Good bye, Father."

The smile Ned wore was a sad one as he returned his daughter's hug. "Good bye, Little One." Reluctantly he pulled away from her and turned to the rest of his children. He nodded once to Robb and ruffled Rickon's hair, before beaconing Jon and Sansa join the rest of the traveling party. Arya managed to give Jon a small wave, they had already said their good byes when he had given her Needle. As Arya watched the three of them walk away she felt that her family had become incomplete and they hadn't even left Winterfell's walls yet.

—

Over the next few days things quieted down dramatically now that King Robert and his entourage had left. There was still tension in the air because of Bran's condition, he had still showed no signs of waking up. But otherwise things went back to some semblance of normalcy. Even the absence of Lord Stark and Sansa wasn't felt as much as Arya had thought it would be. Robb had taken over the duties her father usually performed, and he did so with the ease one would expect of him. His father after all had been prepping him for this exact thing all his life. Arya did what she could to help take over her mother's role while Catelyn stood vigil by Bran's side, but she found she wasn't as well prepared for the job as Robb was for his. However a lot of the servants stepped up and helped her out. To put it simply, life went on despite the changes.

There was one change of note and that was that the remaining Stark children seemed to seek each other's company out a bit more often then before. Almost as if they were holding on to each other as tight as possible in fear that they would be taken away from each other. Often times, Robb would make a point to have supper with Arya and Rickon, and by default Theon would join them.

It was at these meals that Arya felt the most complete. Robb and Theon would joke and talk with each other as if nothing was wrong, they resorted to teasing her a lot if only to lighten the mood. It seemed almost like old times, but there were Bran and Sansa sized holes at the table, and Rickon seemed to lash out at every little thing that didn't go his way. He seemed to have become a bit of a wild child without the calming influence of his parents.

"Something has to be done about his behavior." Robb stated after one of Rickon's more extreme dinner time tantrums. "Can you not do something about those tantrums of his?" He looked irritably at Arya. They could still hear the boy's yells as he was being led away to his room by a servant.

Arya looked up at him, giving him her best 'who me?' look. "What am I supposed to do about it. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I know how to do all those womanly things, like take care of children."

Theon snorted at this, the girl did have a point, he didn't see her as a motherly figure. "He won't listen to Arya any better then he'll listen to you."

"He needs Mother," Arya put in.

"That's not really an option." Robb slumped further down into his chair. "She won't leave Bran's side."

Arya couldn't help but frown a little, "doesn't she know we need her too."

"Do we really?" Robb looked at her, "we've gotten along without her just fine. Bran needs her more then we do."

"But what about Rickon." Arya challenged. "I can only do so much, he doesn't recognize that I have any authority over him, we don't have a Septa here anymore to help out since she went South, and Old Nan is too old to keep up with him."

For the first time since Father had left, Robb looked tired. "I know, I know." His voice sounded weary. "I've been putting it off, but I know I have to talk to Mother. I just don't know how to get through to her that she has another son that needs her attention, maybe even more then Bran does."

"I don't believe it," chuckled Theon, "Robb Stark is afraid of his mother."

Arya couldn't help but laugh as well. For a moment Robb just glowered at the two of them, before he felt his own lips twitch in amusement. "Shut up," he finally said as he let a laugh escape, "the two of you, just shut up." Thus causing the three of them to laugh even harder.

Once they caught their breaths, Robb insisted, "I'm not scared of her." He paused, "I'm just worried that I'm going to have to force her to see that there's really nothing she can do for Bran. That sitting there and staring at him isn't going to make him open up his eyes."

"Maybe she needs the distraction of looking after Rickon." Arya offered.

"I doubt she'll see it that way." Robb said with a hint of frustration. The three of them sat there in silence for a moment, before Robb slowly stood up. "I guess now is a good a time as any."

"Good luck," said Arya with a hint of sympathy.

As they watched Robb walk out of the room, Arya realized that it was the first time since her father had left that her and Theon had been alone. Things hadn't been strained between them, in fact he seemed to be quite friendly with her, much the same as they had been before the King's visit. In fact everything was so normal that she had begun to wonder if she invented the intimacy she had felt between them. They hadn't discussed what had happened, or what could have happened if Jon hadn't caught them, and she didn't dare to bring it up now on the chance that she had just made the whole thing up in her head. Instead she just followed his lead and acted normal.

After a few moments of silence. "How is your archery coming?" He asked as he looked down at the plate that had held his supper. He poked at the remains of his food with a fork, hoping it would distract him of the fact that he was indeed alone with her. "Have you been practicing?"

"A little." She mumbled, a little bit guilty that she hadn't picked up a bow in the last three days.

He heard the guilt in her voice and gave her a sideways glance. "You know if you don't practice, all my hard work will be for naught."

She scoffed at this. "What do you mean all _your_ hard work?"

"It's just that," he paused a moment for effect, "you're incredibly difficult to teach. You're strong willed, you don't listen very well-"

She interrupted him by balling her hand in a fist and punching his arm as hard as she could. "Shut up."

He couldn't help but laugh at her as he rubbed the area that her fist had connected with. "That one almost hurt, Little Wolf."

"I was holding back." She said with a grin.

"Sure you were," he countered.

The bantered back and forth for a little while as the servants cleaned up around them. Theon noted that he was comfortable around her and not overly concerned by the fact that he was spending time alone with her. In the back of his mind he still felt a little bit of attraction for her, but maybe he could control it and eventually get over her.

The two of them had been laughing over something when Robb raced through the room white faced with concern. He barely looked at the two of them as he passed them, "there's a fire in the library tower." He managed to spit the words out, before he barged out the door that led to the outside.

Arya and Theon looked at each other, then quickly got up to follow Robb outside. Once they neared the library tower, they witnessed several of the keep's men doing their best to fight the fire that had some how started in the library. While there was an underlying current of panic, everyone seemed to be working together to keep it at bay. Theon noticed Robb in the thick of things, and realized he too should be doing his best to put the fire out.

"Stay here, I know you're going to want to help, but just stay back so I don't have to worry about you getting hurt too. Okay?" Theon said to Arya, who didn't seem to be listening to what he was saying, her eyes wide as she watched part of her home burn. "Arya?" His tone was harsher then he would have liked, but he had to get through to her so he knew she would be safe.

She just nodded her head stiffly, and realizing that was the best answer he was going to get, he started off towards Robb, when he heard her call, to him. "Be careful!"

"I will," was all that he said in response and then raced to help out.

Arya watched silently and wide eyed as people ran back and forth with buckets of water. The air was thick with the smell of burnt wood and smoke. She wondered how this could have even happened. Had someone been careless and left a candle lit? But who would be so stupid as to do that, in the library of all places. Her heart constricted in fear every time she saw Robb and Theon fighting the flames along with the other men who were working to douse it. She didn't know what she would do if either of them got themselves hurt.

The minutes wore on, and the fire seemed to be diminishing slowly, at least they had managed to contain it to the library tower. Arya longed to go and help fight it, but she had promised Theon to stay put. She looked down at her hands, they were shaking, she wasn't sure she would be much help in the state she was in anyway. She was about to look back to the fire when something caught the corner of the eye. She turned to see who had stumbled out of the same door Robb, Theon, and herself had come from not long ago.

She was shocked to see her mother and watched as Catelyn crumpled to the ground. Arya raced to her mother's side and as soon as she was there knelt down to see if she was okay. The first thing she noticed were that her mother's hands were slick with blood and Arya could see that the source of the blood were some very wicked looking cuts on her mother's hands.

Arya's heart lurched in her chest. _This wasn't happening._ "Robb!" The scream ripped from her mouth as she clutched her mothers wrists so she could get a closer look at her mother's wounds. "Hang on mother, we'll get you help. What happened?" Her voice was shaky and she wasn't even sure of what she was saying as she saw just how deep the cuts were. Her mother had been cut almost to the bone.

Her mother seemed dazed, as if she didn't know how she had gotten outside. Arya could only assume she was in shock. Hearing Arya's voice seemed to lend some strength to Catelyn. She blinked once as if she was trying to focus on her daughters face. When she opened her mouth to talk, her voice was weak, "someone tried to kill Bran."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: As always, thanks readers!

To ConsistentlyRandom21: I'm sorry, but of course it was only a dream. When has anything wrapped up so nicely in Westeros? I'm really happy you're enjoying my story.

To Suzy87: Thank you so much! I was actually kind of worried about that dream sequence. And I'm glad you're liking the Arya/Theon pairing. Always happy to bring someone else aboard my crazy 'ship'

**Chapter 7**

The next morning Catelyn stirred, her head pounding and searing pain coming from both her hands. Instantly she remembered what had happened the night before, the fire, the attack on Bran. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Arya sitting in a chair next to Cat's bed. She was curled up in the chair in such an obviously uncomfortable position, yet she still slept. Catelyn realized her daughter must have stayed with her through the night.

She sensed that someone else was in the room and her eyes shifted, expecting to see Robb standing there. Instead she saw Theon Greyjoy leaning against the door frame, keeping vigil. But Catelyn noticed his attention was solely on her sleeping daughter. For the first time, Catelyn was not worried that the young man seemed too focused on Arya. She could tell that his sole purpose at the moment was to protect her. What had happened last night to Bran terrified her. Someone had gone after her family, and at the moment, it seemed Theon was hellbent on keeping at least one person in her family safe.

She shifted her focus back on Arya. Catelyn knew she had to get up, to check on Bran, to find out what had happened while she lay sleeping. She grimaced as she pushed herself up using her elbows, careful not to put much weight on her injured hands.

The movement must have gotten Arya's attention because she straightened up in her chair and leaned forward to help her mother sit up. "You're up."

Theon quickly took a step further into the room seeing that Lady Catelyn had woken up. "How are you my lady, is there anything you need?"

Catelyn looked to Theon and then back to Arya, "Bran? Is he okay?"

"He's okay." Arya reassured her quietly, "he hasn't woken yet, but he's safe. Robb stayed with him all night, as a…as a precaution."

"What about Rickon, is everyone else okay?" There was clear worry painted in Catelyn's eyes.

Arya nodded her head, "everyone is fine. Except for you, does it hurt much?" She motioned to Catelyn's hands. Do you need me to fetch Maester Luwin, he said there would be a lot of pain and that he could give you something for it."

"It hurts." Catelyn admitted, "but I don't need anything. I want my head clear. What happened last night?"

"Maybe Robb should tell you." Arya shrugged. "I'm not certain what happened. They wouldn't let me go inside Bran's room, and I've been with you the entire time. The fire was put out, but there was a lot of damage." She frowned wishing she knew what to say to her mother, wishing she had some answers for what happened the night before. She looked over to Theon, "you should go get my brother. He'll want to know Mother is up."

For a moment Theon stood there, saying nothing, glaring at Arya. "I told you before, I'm not leaving. Robb told me to stay here and make sure nothing happened to the two of you. After what happened last night, I'm not about to disobey him."

Catelyn caught the annoyance in his tone and he wondered if the two had this same argument while she had been sleeping. She had no doubt that Arya might have resented the fact that Robb had thought she might need protection. She knew her daughter. She wasn't surprised when Arya let out a huff of frustration.

"I'm," she paused and then motioned to herself and her mother. "_We're_ perfectly safe. I doubt anyone will try to get to us now that their first attempt to hurt my mother or Bran failed. Not to mention, I'm capable of holding off anyone who might try to hurt us. My lungs work perfectly well, I'll be able to call for help. And more importantly, Nymeria is with us."

Catelyn could hear the wolf whine in agreement with her master. She hadn't noticed Nymeria before, but her former worry over the creatures being too wild to have as pets no longer seemed to be a problem. She realized now that they were simply another line of defense for her children. She grimaced as she raised a hand to touch her daughter's arm with her finger tips, even that simply gesture was accompanied with agony. She looked to Theon, "it's okay Theon. Go get Robb, we need to discuss what happened." She knew that if she didn't intervene the two of them would bicker back and forth, Arya's stubbornness and Theon's need to prove his loyalty would keep them from getting anything done.

Again, a moment of silence ensued as Theon clenched his jaw, his lips forming a tight straight line. Catelyn could tell he was angry and frustrated that he could do nothing about it, the Lady had spoken after all. She also noticed that his eyes never left her daughter. It occurred to her that him being there solely because Robb had ordered him to be there was a lie. Her voice was soft when she spoke again, perhaps she had been wrong about him and his intentions with Arya "Theon, you'll only be gone for a few moments, nothing will happen."

His voice was low as he tried to keep frustration from coloring his tone. "Of course my lady." Stiffly he walked from the room.

"He's worried about you." Catelyn said quietly to Arya.

Arya scowled as she moved to help shift some pillows behind her mother, trying to make her more comfortable. "He stayed here, all last night. He was practically falling asleep on his feet. He was being stupid. I don't think Robb meant for him to stand watch the _whole_ time. He could have gotten one of the guards to relieve him."

"He wanted to make sure the job was done properly, perhaps he felt he was the only one who could keep us safe." Catelyn watched her daughter carefully. "Someone tried to hurt a Stark last night, they got very close to it Arya. In our home." She said with emphasis. "You cannot blame him, him or Robb for wanting to protect us."

"I don't need protection." Arya said stubbornly. "I could have watched over us. Nymeria was here, and I'm not helpless."

"I know Arya," Catelyn said shifting again, trying to make herself comfortable. "But sometimes when people are scared for people they," she paused looking for the right word, "care about, they don't always think rationally. They only worry about protecting those people."

"He was only here because Robb asked him to be." Arya shrugged off what Catelyn was saying. "I think he feels like he has to prove himself."

"You two have become close." Catelyn started. "It might be more then that."

"I doubt Then would loose sleep to watch over me, we're just friends." Arya said. "Like I said, Robb asked him to watch over the Lady of Winterfell, I was just an add on."

"If you say so." Catelyn said seriously. She wouldn't push the subject, she had more pressing things to be worried about then her daughter's blindness when it came to Theon.

They stayed quiet for a few moments after that. Catelyn leaned against the pillows Arya had propped up behind her and closed her eyes. She was still tired, and when she wasn't concentrating on conversation, the pain started to take over.

"Are you sure you don't want me to send for Maester Luwin?" Arya looked at her, concerned.

"I'm sure." Catelyn said tightly. "I'm of more use to my children when I'm clear headed."

Arya nodded her head, worry clearly still reflected in her features. "What exactly happened last night?"

"I'd like to know that too." Chimed in Robb as he entered the room, followed by Theon. He managed to offer his mother a tight smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll live." Catelyn said turning her attention to her eldest child. "Bran and Rickon, they're okay?"

"Yes. Rodrick is watching over them right now. I didn't leave them without protection." Robb said taking a seat on the bed by his mother. "What happened last night?"

"After you left, when the fire started," Catelyn started.

"We think it might have been deliberately set." Theon offered seriously, "as distraction."

Catelyn nodded her head to show she understood, "that man, whoever he was, he thought the room would be empty, that Bran would be alone. He had a dagger, and I just knew he came to hurt Bran. I tried to stop him, but…" She looked down helplessly at her bandaged hands.

"It's okay." Arya touched her shoulder, hoping to lend some strength to her mother.

"I know. Somehow Bran's wolf got there. He must have known Bran was in trouble." Catelyn shuddered a little at the remembrance of watching the beast savagely rip out the attackers throat.

"We saw." Robb said quietly as he glanced at Theon. They had been the first two people who had entered Bran's room. It was shocking how much blood there had been, it hadn't been a comfortable scene to see. The calmness of the wolf had been unsettling. When they had walked in, he was laying next to Bran as if nothing had happened.

Catelyn looked fiercely at Robb. "You make sure that wolf stays by his side." She looked to Arya, then back at Robb. "All of you keep them close."

"Of course." Robb agreed.

"Good." Cat said firmly. "Were you able to find anything about who did this."

Robb sighed in frustration. "He wore common clothing. We're not even sure where he's from. I didn't recognize him. The only thing of note he had on him was the dagger he carried."

"It wasn't a normal dagger." Theon said when he saw the confusion on Arya and Catelyn's face. "It was made of Valyrian steel."

"Those are rare," murmured Arya.

"Aye," Robb said. "No commoner would have one."

"So someone gave it to him." Catelyn said firmly.

"It would seem that way. He didn't look like someone who would have the means to own one." Robb said. "But who? And why would anyone want to hurt Bran?"

Catelyn bit her lip she had a few ideas about the who, but not the why. And she had no real proof so she said nothing about her suspicions. "I don't know. But we must do something to find out." She moved to try and get out of bed. She was doing no good lying in bed and it wasn't as if her legs were and feet were injured. "Help me up." Almost instantly Robb stood up and gently took his mothers arm and Theon came forward to help until she stood shakily on her feet.

"Do you think this wise?" Asked Robb. "You should rest."

Catelyn gritted her teeth. "I'm fine. Have you sent a raven to your father telling him what happened here?"

Robb nodded his head. "I sent one to King's Landing. But the raven will probably get there even before Father does. He's still probably on the King's Road. He's only been gone a couple of weeks, it takes at least a month to get there."

"Then we must do what we can from here." Catelyn appeared determined carry on.

—

"You're hovering." Arya said grumpily as she made her way to the kitchens, she had missed her morning meal and her stomach had rumbled while talking with her mother.

"You shouldn't be alone." Theon said as he moved to walk beside her.

"I'm not." She looked pointedly at Nymeria.

Theon looked at the wolf too, knowing full well that Arya had a point. And yet here he was walking beside Arya, worrying that if he let her out of his sight, someone might come after her with a dagger too. He was doing so well too, putting the feelings he had for her aside. He could even be around her without getting all twisted around. Then someone had to attempt to hurt her brother, and his first thought had been _what if it had been her?_ Now, he had this undeniable need to make sure that nothing happened to her, and it seemed like all the hard work of suppressing his feelings had become undone. "Sorry, you're stuck with me." She would just have to deal with him shadowing her.

"Did my brother put you up to this?" Arya practically growled. "You know, you don't have to do everything he tells you to."

"Actually, I do." Theon rolled his eyes. "He's the Lord of Winterfell while your father is away. So if he told me to watch over you, that is what I would do." He shrugged his shoulders. "But he didn't tell me to, he thinks Nymeria is enough protection."

"Gods Theon, then why are you here?" She asked exasperated. "I'm perfectly capable of getting myself something to eat. I can take care of myself."

"I know that." He said with a chuckle.

"And you're still going to follow me around" She asked in disbelief.

"That's what I plan to do." He was completely nonchalant as he continued on towards the kitchens. He wasn't worried that he would get too far ahead of her, she would follow him. She was upset with him, and since she was upset with him she would view this as an argument, which she would want to win.

"Well, you'll have to change those plans, because I'm not going to allow it." She said as she trailed after him. "I'm not a child, I don't need to be looked after." She gripped his arm, forcing him to stop walking and he turned towards her. "I said it before, who ever was did this, they would be stupid to try to do anything now that the first attempt failed. They'll know we'll be on our guard."

"People have done stupider things." His grin was still firmly fixed upon his lips and it aggravated Arya. "You're not getting rid of me Little Wolf, get used to it."

She couldn't help but wrinkle her nose, he didn't seem to be taking her seriously. As much as she loved spending time with Theon, she wasn't sure how she felt about being around him constantly. What if things got _weird_ between them again. She didn't want that to happen. "I could always sic Nymeria on you."

Theon raised an amused eyebrow. "Oh really?" For a long moment he looked at Arya, then he purposely looked at the wolf. "He leaned down slightly and put his hand on Nymeria's head, then scratched lightly around her ears. The wolf's tail waged in delight, as she nuzzled against him. "You're not going to scare me away girl, are you?"

Arya glared at her wolf. "Traitor." She muttered. Nymeria at least had the decency to look back at her guiltily as Theon once again stood to his full height. Arya brought her full glare back to him. "I'm sure you have better things to do with your time then to waste it on me. Why do you insist following me about?"

"Because you're too damn head-strong. You think you're invincible Arya Stark." He said.

She looked like she was about to say something, but he raised his index finger to her lips to hush her. In that simple gesture her breath hitched. For a moment it seemed like she couldn't think about anything other then his touch. She had even forgotten what she was going to say, that more than anything is what kept her quiet. Instead her wide eyes just focused on him.

When he realized she would stay quiet he dropped his hand back to his side. It seemed he didn't even realize how he had affected her, his tone was all seriousness. "The fact is, you are not invincible. Someone attacked your family, Arya. They went after the Stark they knew would be alone, the most vulnerable, the one who couldn't fight back. This time they went after Bran. But what if there is a next time, what if they decided you would be the vulnerable one. You go places alone, your always wandering the Godswood. You may have Nymeria with you, but what if they have a bow? What if they find away to lure her away from you?" He gave her a small little smirk. "Humor me Little Wolf. Let me look after you."

Willing herself to recover from that little encounter, she extended her lower lip into a small, fake pout, hoping she could mask what ever this reaction to him was. "Do you have to be with me at all times though?"

Again a chuckle escaped him, "no, I suppose not. I'm not sure I could handle that much of you all the time." He paused a moment as if he was giving something some serious thought. "How about this, if you are here, within the buildings or the main courtyard, anywhere where there are people, I'll leave you alone. Just promise me you won't leave Winterfell's walls without someone, without _me._" He emphasized.

She canted her head to the side an amused smirk of her own gracing her lips. "Why does it have to be you? Couldn't I ask one of men at arms?"

Theon shrugged his shoulders, "because I don't trust anyone else to do the job properly. Jon and your father are not here and Robb is too busy. Those are the only people I would trust to your safety right now. So that leaves me. Now promise me."

"But what if you're too busy?" She asked smiling a bit too innocently.

His smirk hardened down to a frown. Now she was just being difficult. "I'll make time." He gave her a hard look, he was becoming a little impatient with her now. "Now promise me, or I'll be your constant shadow."

Seeing that he had become more serious, she decided not to see how far she could push him. "I promise Theon, I won't go anywhere without you."

He studied her for a moment, making sure she showed no signs of deceit. He could see none, at least not at the moment, and he hoped she wouldn't be foolish enough to go back on her word. That she would realize it could be dangerous for her right now. "Okay. Good." He allowed his smile to come back. "Then let us get you some breakfast Little Wolf."

—

Later that afternoon, Theon found himself walking the halls of Winterfell alone. He seemed restless, like he had something that needed to be done, but he didn't know what it was. He had a suspicion it had to do with the fact that Arya was not in his immediate vicinity, that he couldn't be absolutely sure that she was okay. He knew that theoretically she was fine. She had only gone to get some rest, to make up for what she lost last night while she watched over her mother, but still he worried. Eventually he found his way up to Bran's room, where Robb sat, watching over his still sleeping brother.

Robb looked up when he entered, and Theon could tell the situation was wearing on him. No one had gotten much sleep the night before, but Robb looked even more haggard then anyone else. "You look terrible." Theon said by way of greeting.

"Thanks." Robb deadpanned.

"Have you gotten any rest?" Theon asked.

"No." Was Robb's simple answer.

Theon could tell he didn't want to talk, it seemed like Robb had the weight of the Seven Kingdoms on his shoulders. He couldn't offer his friend any answers, so he stayed quiet. He supposed the least he could do was offer him support even if it was just standing quietly by waiting to see if Robb would need anything. Well maybe standing around doing nothing wasn't the easiest thing for Thoen to do. He felt he should be doing something. He would stay with Robb, but he would pace while he was doing it.

It went on that way for a few moments. Theon walking from one end of the room, to another, absent mindedly stopping to pick up, studying, then putting back down various things Bran had scattered around his room. Robb sat stoically in a chair at the foot of his brother's sick bed, it appeared he was watching over Bran, but in actuality his mind was focused on the problems that seemed to plague Winterfell.

Eventually Theon's restlessness seemed to grate on Robb's calm. "Would you sit still." He snapped at his friend.

Theon stopped moving around, and quirked an eyebrow at Robb. "Of course, sorry my lord." The words had been polite, but he had used a tone that let Robb know he wasn't pleased the way Robb had spoken to him.

For a moment there was silence as Robb glared at Theon, but it didn't take long for Robb to let out an exhausted sigh and for his glare to soften. For he realized that Theon probably felt just as helpless as he did right now. "Forgive me, that was rude."

Theon shrugged it off. "It doesn't matter. We're both on edge." He was about to say more, but promptly shut his mouth when Catelyn rushed into the room with purpose, followed by Ser Rodrik and Maester Luwin.

She looked to Robb, seemingly relieved that she had found him. Then she looked to Theon, surprised to see him standing there. "Where is Arya? Why aren't you with her?"

"She's, um…she was tired, so she went to rest, my lady." Theon was wide eyed with surprise. Why would she assume that he would know where she was or that he would even be with her? She looked concerned at his answer, and then realized she must be worried for her daughter's safety. "Nymeria is with her." He added quickly to reassure her.

She nodded her head briskly to show that she understood. "It's probably best anyway. With her temper I don't know how she would react."

"React to what, Mother?" Robb asked as he stood up from the chair and motioned for Catelyn to sit. While she seemed to be moving around find, it was clear that her body was still reacting to the pain of her injuries. Robb hadn't realized how strong his mother was.

She nodded to Rodrik and with a quick glance out in the hall to make sure no one was around, he closed the door to the room firmly.

"What I am about to tell you, cannot leave these four walls." She looked seriously at each one of the men in the room and she waited for each one of them to nod their head to show that they understood. Once she was satisfied she lowered her voice to just barely a whisper, the others had to strain to hear her. "I don't think Bran falling was an accident."

"You think someone pushed him off the tower." Robb said. It was a statement, not a question, with someone attempting to kill Bran the night before, the thought had crossed his mind that it hadn't been the first time. That there had been something more to the story of his little brother's accident.

"It would make sense. Bran has always been sure footed. He had probably climbed that tower more times then any of us even know." The Maester put in.

Theon nodded his head, he had seen first hand how easily Bran had scaled the tower wall. "But why would anyone want to hurt him. He's a child."

"That is where things get complicated." Catelyn said grimly. "He must have heard something he should not have, or seen something." She shook her head. "I don't know what, but it must have been something damning for someone to try and kill a child to keep it hidden."

"You have a suspicion of who it might be." Robb said realizing there was a certainty in his mother's eyes.

"Before your father left, I received a raven from my sister Lysa. She believes that Jon Arryn found something that the Lannisters want to keep secret. She believes her husband was poisoned, that the Queen might some how have been responsible." Catelyn informed them.

"But why would she kill Bran, my lady?" asked Ser Rodrik.

"Like I said before, what if he saw something, or heard something that might have implicated the Lannisters in Lord Arryn's death." Catelyn shrugged.

"Forgive me, my Lady," Maester Luwin spoke up, "but that isn't a lot to go on."

It seemed that the Lady Catelyn was ready for that argument. "Today I went to the tower that Bran fell from. I found this." She held her a hand awkwardly, the bandages around her palms were stained with blood. She had probably been moving them too much, aggravating to wounds. But her fingers seemed to be fine, and pinched between her index finder and thumb was a single long, blond hair. It matched the length and coloring of the Queen's hair.

The moment that followed was silent and the air was thick with tension as they realized the ramifications of what she had found. Theon was the first to break it. "It makes sense," he said quietly.

Catelyn looked over to where Theon stood. "What do you mean?"

"Princess Myrcella came to say good bye to Arya a couple of days before leaving Winterfell." Theon said, he remembered that day quite well. "The Princess had said she was supposed to spend time with her mother the afternoon Bran _fell_. But Queen Cersei had complained of a head ache and sent Myrcella away with the excuse that she wanted to rest. The Queen would have had a whole afternoon alone, no one could possibly know what she had been up to."

Theon noticed that Catelyn's gaze had gone hard, and he thought that maybe she was upset with him for not coming to her sooner with this information. "I am sorry, my lady, I didn't realize it was important, so I didn't say anything."

"No, it's okay." She said, her voice hard. "How could you have known. But it does seem that it is more evidence pointing in her direction."

"But what are we to do about it?" Robb asked, he looked thoughtful, as he realized that ultimately the decision would come down to him.

"I advise you to use caution." Luwin said, his voice serious. "As damning as this evidence may seem, it is all still circumstantial. Do the wrong thing and you could start a war. She is still the Queen, if we aren't certain before we accuse her, if we cannot prove she is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, it is treason."

"We cannot just sit by and do nothing." Theon complained.

"No, I know that." Robb murmured.

"Your father should be told at the very least," said Luwin.

"We cannot send a raven. We don't know when he would get it, and we don't know who else might see it." Robb said. "I should leave for King's Landing immediately. Who knows, maybe I could even catch up to Father on the King's Road. A lone rider can travel faster then the large party he's traveling with."

"I'll go with." Theon put in, already heading for the door, already thinking of the preparations he would have to make. But he was abruptly stopped in his tracks.

"No." Cat's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. "Robb, you cannot go. A Stark must always be in Winterfell."

"The Lady is right." Rodrik put in. "And if the acting Lord of Winterfell left, well let's just say that's something people will notice. Right now the Lannisters don't know we suspect something, that's probably our biggest advantage. It would be suspicious if you left home, Lord Stark, they would know that something had caused you to leave. The Lannisters are not stupid, they would guess correctly about what it was."

Catelyn nodded her head in agreement. "I will go."

All four men looked to her in amazement. "What about Bran?" Robb asked.

"I have done what I can for him. I have prayed to the Seven, I have sat by his side for weeks." She said in frustration. She hated leaving her son's side, but she knew it had to be done. "I have to do what I can to protect the rest of the family now."

"But your injuries," Luwin started.

"You can pack me extra bandages and whatever else I need to keep infection at bay." Catelyn said. "And you can give me potions that will keep mask when I'm riding." And when she saw there would be more objections, she simply said, "you're not going to talk me out of this."

Rodrik frowned at the thought of her going, "if that's the way it is to be, my lady, fine. But at least allow me to go with you. The King's Road is not safe for a woman to travel alone."

Catelyn simply nodded her head in acceptance to his offer. "Then we leave as soon as everything is prepared."

Reluctantly all four of them nodded their heads in agreement. The Lady had spoken after all. Luwin and Rodrik were the first to leave the room. Robb gave his mother one unhappy glance, but then rested his hand on her shoulder, and gave it a small squeeze. He knew that this was something she felt she had to do, even if he didn't like it. Then silently he left the room.

Theon had been about to follow his friend out, when Catelyn spoke to him. "Theon Greyjoy, you had better take care of my little girl."

He paused a moment, stunned at her words, he turned to her and gave her a firm nod. "Um, of course, my lady." And with that, he left her to say her silent good byes to Bran.

—

It had been several days since Catelyn Stark had left Winterfell. There had been much rumor and speculation as to why she had left so suddenly. Arya had been furious that she hadn't been told that her mother was leaving. Not only that, she had been hurt because her mother hadn't said good bye to her. To make matters worse Robb had been vague about the true reason for Catelyn's disappearance. He had said it would be better for her if she didn't now. She knew that Theon knew, and it irked her even more that he was just as tight lipped with the information as her brother. She hated being kept in the dark.

Arya did not make those days since Cat's departure easy on those around her. She was full of glares and harsh words to those who were keeping secrets from her. She avoided Theon altogether, but she had kept her promise of not leaving Winterfell's walls without him. So she restricted herself to the keep and its court yard. In fact, she seemed to spend a lot of time in Bran's room, watching him sleep.

It sometimes got boring, sitting there with nothing to do. At least nothing she really wanted to do, she tried reading and one time had even pulled out her dreaded needle point. She was too suborn to seek out the company of Robb or Theon. She had resolved to stay angry with them for as long as she could. Often times she would find herself nodding off to sleep while staring at Bran's pale face.

One night, she was doing exactly that, when Nymeria who was always by her side, and Bran's wolf who rarely left Bran's room started to whine. Upon hearing the wolves, she sat straight up, realizing that she had almost fallen asleep. Outside she could hear Grey Wind howl loudly, and there was a howl coming from the direction of Rickon's room as well, Shaggy Dog was agitated too. Arya blinked at the strange behavior, the wolves seemed to be on edge tonight. She couldn't help but be nervous by that. She remembered Nymeria acting strangely the day that Bran fell from the tower.

"What is it girl?" Asked Arya, she could hear the fear in her own voice.

Nymeria answered with a bark, that was followed by one from Bran's wolf as well. She turned her attention to her brother's wolf and saw that he had jumped up on Bran's bed, standing protectively over his master. Arya stood up, grabbing her Needle. She had taken to carrying the sword with her at all times. If only to make her feel safe. She looked to the open door of Bran's room, to see if anyone would come storming in.

It was then that she heard a small hoarse whisper coming from the bed. "Summer," was all the voice said. She turned to look at the still form of her brother. The only change she could see, was that his eyes were open. And in that instant she let her sword clatter to the ground. A slow smile started to spread across her face. Bran had woken up.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: I wanted to get this chapter up two days ago! But I've been on vacation, and the writing process went slower then I wanted, and I'm not happy with how this chapter turned out. But I wanted to get it up and published so it didn't seem like I was abandoning the story. Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy it!

To Suzy87: I always felt like Theon could have been better. Don't get me wrong. I love the Starks, but sometimes I think they might have created some of the problems they had with him. Thank you for reading, it makes me happy to know people are enjoying my work.

**Chapter 8**

Arya slipped quietly into Winterfell's main hall, where Robb was greeting guests. She hadn't been aware that they were expecting any, so she was surprised when she saw Tyrion Lannister and some of his house guards standing before her brother. She had remembered that he had ventured to the Wall with her Uncle Benjen and Jon's party, he must be making his return trip to the South. She assumed he was here to ask her brother for his hospitality, but Arya could tell the feeling in the air was tense. Something seemed to be wrong, she could tell just by looking at Robb's face. He looked downright hostile when he looked at Tyrion. Without a word she moved stand respectfully behind Robb.

Tyrion took the moment to break away from the intense glare Robb had been sending his way. "Lady Arya," Tyrion nodded a respectful greeting to her.

Arya offered him a small smile, unsure if she should take her brother's lead on how she treated him. She had no problem with the man. "It's good to see you well, Lord Tyrion."

With that he looked back at Robb, "it seems not all of the Starks have lost their manners. I remember a warmer welcome only a few weeks ago. Have I done something to offend?"

Instead of answering, Robb continued to remain formal said, "I offer you the hospitality of Winterfell for as long as you require." The words felt rehearsed, like he was only saying them because he was expected to say them. Arya had a feeling from the way Robb was acting that allowing Tyrion to spend any amount of time at Winterfell was the last thing he wanted to do.

"How generous." Tyrion commented. "And Lady Stark, how is she? I would have expected her to greet me herself."

"She is sick and cannot receive anyone." Robb said shortly and Arya looked at him confused as to why her brother would lie.

Arya's look was not lost on Tyrion, "yes, well, then give your mother my well wishes," he said in such a way that showed he in no way believed Catelyn was sick. He looked like he wanted to say more but kept his mouth shut when a rather large man walked in carrying Bran, then followed closely by Theon.

Arya was surprised to see Bran out of his bed. He hadn't left it even after he had woken up. He was sulky and moody and Arya didn't spend much time with him. She couldn't blame his mood. The fall had done much damage to his body, he would never walk again. He had had reams of becoming a knight, and now they would never be fulfilled. She felt slightly guilty for not spending much time with him. Especially after she had spent so much time with him before he woke. But it was hard having to look him in the eye when he he was so sad. That and he often his anger frustration out on those around him.

"So, you are awake!" Tyrion said with a smile that Arya could tell was genuine. "Your brother Jon told me that you had finally opened your eyes." He paused a moment, it seemed it was awkward for him to look up at Bran. "Would you mind asking your friend to lower you, so I can talk to you down here?"

Bran frowned, it seemed he rather be anywhere but here at the moment. His voice was sullen when he looked at who held him. "Hodor, kneel down." Hodor complied immediately.

"Ahh, much better." Tyrion said. "Jon asked me to give you a message. He's very relieved that you have woken up. And he wishes he could be here for you."

"Thank you." Was Bran's only reply.

"Now I was wondering, do you remember anything that happened when you fell?" Tyrion asked curiously.

Arya shifted her attention to Robb, who seemed to tense up even more when the question was asked. They both knew that Bran remembered nothing. Robb couldn't seem to drop the subject, and always seemed to ask if he remembered anything. It was almost like he didn't think Bran had fallen by accident. She frowned slightly as things suddenly started to click within her mind. _That was exactly Robb thought, that Bran had been pushed. Was that the reason her mother left so suddenly?_ Then Arya looked at Tyrion, did her brother think that he was the one who had done the pushing? That would be absurd, impossible even. She wasn't sure the dwarf would even have the power to do something like that to her brother. At least not by himself, could he have gotten someone to do it for him? Then why would he return here? She brought her eyes level to Theon, who it had been watching her, he had seen the wheels turn in her head. He had a feeling things were starting to click into place for her. She seemed to question him with her eyes. He knew what she wanted to know. He shook his head slightly to show that she shouldn't ask about anything right now, not in from of their company. She furrowed her brow in frustration and then turned her attention back to Bran and Tyrion's conversation.

"No, I don't remember anything." Bran said, his voice still petulant.

"That is a shame." In Arya's ears, Tyrion seemed sincere when he uttered those words. If he didn't do it, did he have some idea of who it might have been? "I do come with a gift for you, Lord Bran." The smile had returned to Tyrion's face.

There had been a flash of excitements in Bran's eyes when he heard that. It warmed Arya's heart to see it, even if it was only for a brief moment. "Really? What is it?" Bran asked.

"Tell me, do you like to ride horses?" Tyrion asked.

Bran's face fell, "I can't ride anymore."

"And why not?" Tyrion motioned to one of his guards, who handed him a roll of parchments. "With the right saddle, and the right horse, if trained properly to follow commands with the reins and verbal queues, you can ride again." He handed Bran the papers. "Give these plans to your saddle maker. I'm sure in a few weeks time, you'll be riding again."

Bran opened the rolled parchments, Arya shifted slightly to try to get a peek at what was on them. From her vantage point she could see what she thought might be some drawings that had been made by Lord Tyrion. She supposed they were plans for a saddle that would suit Bran. With this show of kindness, it was hard to think that Tryion had anything to do with Bran falling. Unless of course he felt guilty. Another stab of suspicion coursed through her. She looked to Robb to see he reaction.

His face was still hardened, but Robb's eyes seemed to soften a little at seeing his brother's spirits rise when he saw what Tyrion had given him. He still did not trust the dwarf, but he did seem a little less hostile when he opened his mouth. "Lord Tyrion, you have given my brother a great gift. Consider the hospitality of Winterfell at your full disposal, I shall have rooms prepared for you immediately."

"Oh, no don't concern yourself about me. I'm sure I'll find more welcoming rooms elsewhere." Tyrion still could tell when he wasn't welcome, he had spent most of his life feeling that way. It was obvious that they were lying to him, the Lady Catelyn was not at Winterfell. He wondered what had made the Starks so angry, with him in particular. He would not be comfortable under the scrutiny of the's northern lords. At least he was able to give some hope to Bran. There was at least one Stark who didn't loathe the sight of him. "We shall take our leave now." And without so much as a good bye he started to leave the hall.

Robb looked relieved as he watched the Tyrion walk out. He did like that man anywhere near his family, especially when he suspected the Lannisters had already tried to hurt one of his them. He looked to where Hodor still knelt with Bran, who was still looking intently at the plans that Tyrion had given him. He looked thoughtful as he saw the interest in his brother's eyes. It was the first time he had seen that sort of spark in Bran since he had woken up. He was about to stand up and join his brother in studying the plans when felt Arya closer to his chair. She no doubt had questions about what she had just witnessed, he still hadn't told her the truth about what he and his mother thought might have happened with Bran. He didn't want to have to deal with that right now.

"Arya, we'll talk later." He said maybe a little more shortly then he intended. He looked to her and saw that she was about to protest but he held up a hand and gave her a little smile, hoping to keep her calm. "I promise. I'm just want to attend to Bran right now. Look at how happy he is."

Arya wanted to huff, and complain about being pushed aside so easily. But she saw looked to where Bran was and saw that a little life had returned to his eyes. She let out a sigh in resignation. "Fine." She had noticed Theon walk off after Tyrion, he would probably be an easier target to get some information from anyway. She offered Robb a small, reassuring smile, and moved to follow Theon.

"Arya," Robb said before she could go on her way. "Stay close, okay. I don't want you wandering on your own, at least for a couple of days. Even if you have Nymeria with you."

She gave him a level stare. "You mean until we know Tyrion Lannister is far away from Winterfell." She didn't give a chance to respond, she just wanted to let him know that she wasn't stupid, that she had figured out at least in part what was going on. Even if they had tried so hard to keep it from her. And just as she was about to walk out of the hall, she called back to her brother, "don't worry, I'll be careful."

—

Theon was in no hurry to follow after Tyrion. But he did want to make sure the man left like he said he was going to. Theon didn't trust him, the man just being in the same room with people Theon cared about put him on edge. He didn't care how many good intentions the man _seemed _to have. So he found himself in the court yard just as the Lannister party was preparing to depart.

Tryion seemed to be in a foul mood, no doubt due to the treatment he had just received from Robb. When he caught sight of Theon, his mood hadn't improved and his words were sarcastic. "Well, if it isn't the Stark's young ward." He didn't seem to care who he took his mood out on. "Tell me, what would Balon Greyjoy say if he saw his only surviving son so subservient to Eddard Stark's family?"

"I don't really know what you would say. I don't properly know him, now do I?" Theon glowered at him, he knew Tyrion was goading him and he refused to rise to the occasion.

"Then enlighten me as to why you allow yourself to be like a faithful dog to them?" Tyrion could see Theon face redden with anger, and he saw that the young man's hands were balled into fists. Then his eyes were drawn to the slight figure of Arya Stark who followed Theon outside. "Ahh," he said with a knowing little smirk, he remembered how Theon watched after her, so many weeks ago. "Wait, never mind I now understand why."

Still scowling, Theon followed Tyrion's gaze, and seeing Arya, he seemed to relax a little. She could be a calming influence on him. He still felt a anger towards Tyrion, but he at least wouldn't resort to violence in her presence, lest she might get the idea to join in. "What are you doing here?" He asked her as she stepped up next to him.

Arya gave him a look like she didn't particularly like having to answer to him. "I have some things I wanted to discuss with you." Then she turned her attention to Tyrion as he was helped upon his horse. "Where will you stay Lord Tyrion?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll find the local whorehouse much more accommodating then here." He answered her in a manner that he was sure to get a rise out of any of proper lady. It may have been childish to try to get a rise out of either of them. But he was angry with the Starks, and he was not happy with how he was treated, especially by ones who he considered to be children. He was surprised and admittedly impressed when Arya didn't give him any reaction at all.

Instead she just shrugged her shoulders. "Enjoy yourself."

Tyrion couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth twitch into an almost smile. "I'm sure I will my lady."

"You should ask for Ros," Theon blurted out. He wanted nothing more then to get this man away from Winterfell and he would do just about anything to make that happen, even if it meant giving him advice about prostitutes. He missed the glare Arya had sent his way.

Tyrion however didn't, and he wasn't about to miss his chance to make a little trouble. "And why is that?"

"She's the best…" he trailed off as he realized what exactly he was saying and who he was saying it in front of. He hazarded a glance at Arya, he didn't miss the disgust in her eyes.

Tyrion couldn't help but chuckle a little and then reached into his coin purse to pull out a gold piece. "I apologize if I caused any problems. I'm generally in a bad mood when I'm treated poorly." Theon looked at him, clearly unhappy with the way things had happened. Tyrion tossed him a gold coin, he just couldn't help himself as he said, "your next visit to Ros is on me."

Theon caught it, despite his frustration. He said nothing, but his eyes were full of anger.

"Come." Tyrion was still smirking as he talked to the guards who accompanied him, "let us leave these two to their lover's quarrel." Without another word he started all of them on their way.

Theon watched after him red faced with anger and quite possibly embarrassed. "I think I might actually hate that man." He muttered, more to himself then to Arya.

"So who's this Ros?" Arya looked at him, and he really couldn't tell if she was angry, disappointed, or digested with him. She wasn't even sure how she felt about him in that moment. Probably an assortment of all three and maybe, just maybe there was a little hurt mixed in. She didn't know why she was feeling like this, she knew he had frequented the brothel, but she hadn't really notice him do so as of late. She had thought maybe he had given it up.

He gave her a bit of a frown. "Do you really want to talk about this my lady?"

"Not really, no." She answered quietly, she didn't want to know anything about that part of his life, she had a feeling it would hurt her more then it should. She hated how vulnerable she might have sounded as she said that.

He turned away from her, looking at her accusing eyes was difficult. "I stopped going there weeks ago." His voice was just as quiet. "I don't know why I even brought up her name, I just wanted to get rid of him. I thought giving him a name of a girl might make him leave faster. I realize just how stupid that sounds now."

Arya nodded, a ping of relief had touched her heart with his words. "It _was_ stupid."

"Trust me, I do a lot of stupid things." Theon admitted.

Arya nodded her head in agreement, then stood there awkwardly for a moment. She shifted her weight from one foot to another. Neither of them seemed to be comfortable with this conversation. She figured it might just be best to get on with the conversation she originally wanted to have. "Why were you trying to get rid of him anyway?" Arya frowned. "Why was Robb so unwelcoming to Tyrion?" She looked at him expectantly. "I know this has something to do with why mother left." Then she lowered her voice even more. "Did he have something to do with Bran? Do you and Robb think he did it?"

Theon looked at her concerned by what she had seemed to figure out on her own. He didn't know what to say to her, should he confirm what she suspected. What would Robb want him to say to her? They had been concerned that she would do something stupid if she knew their suspicions. It was one of the reasons Lady Stark didn't want them to tell her, at least not at first. And now with Tyrion within her reach, would she try and take matters into her own hands?

She canted her head to the side as she looked at him, "I'll take your silence as an affirmative." She said quietly.

"Arya," Theon said carefully. "You're not thinking of doing anything stupid, are you?"

Her lips pressed tightly together in a thin line. Her first reaction would be to go and ask Tyrion what exactly he had done and if she didn't like the answers he gave, she would probably try to hurt him.

Theon saw her face and was worried that she really would do something stupid. He took a step toward her and grabbed her arms. He hold on to her tightly, so that she would be forced to look at him and wouldn't be able to get away. His voice was a fierce whisper, he needed to get it through her head just how bad of an idea doing anything would be. "We do not know if it was Tyrion, we only suspect the Lannisters, we're just not sure which one of them did it. And you cannot go around throwing accusations like that around."

She looked like she wanted to argue with him, but she wasn't stupid, she knew he was right. For a moment she said nothing, emotions warring within her. It felt wrong not to do anything. "I'm supposed to do nothing? Just sit here as if everything is okay, while someone who potentially hurt my family is down at that whorehouse rutting around like a pig?" She spat.

"I know it's difficult Little Wolf." He still hadn't let go of her. "But your mother has gone to tell your father. That's why she left. He'll know what to do. The best we can do is wait for directions from him. We don't want to risk starting a war."

She hated that he made sense. "I know I can't do anything Theon, I just hate it."

"Just have patience." He said as he slid his hands down the length of her arms to her hands. He held them for a moment, trying to give her some comfort and then squeezed them lightly before letting go.

—

For Arya the days seemed to pass a bit slowly. Tyrion had only spent the one night at the brothel. All of them had breathed a sigh of relief when he left and there had been no further incidents. Robb was still weary for their safety, he didn't know if Tyrion Lannister would have made arrangements for another attack like the one against Bran the night of the fire. So some of Arya's freedoms had been taken away. She could no longer roam outside the keep's walls, with or without Theon for protection. And she was not happy about that.

With her free time, she found herself in the practice yard swinging her Needle at a practice dummy or with archery practice. Sometimes Bran would be there, doing his lessons with Maester Luwin. And sometimes Theon would be there giving her pointers on her form with archery and sometimes joining in. Nymeria was her one constant companion. On this particular afternoon, Theon was practicing, and Arya was sitting around watching him while she listened in on Bran's lesson.

The lesson seemed to be about the major Houses in Westeros, a lesson that Arya herself had to sit through many, many times. She could probably say each houses sigils, their words and where they were seated in her sleep. She thought Bran knew them as well, but it seemed he was being intent on being difficult today. So far he hadn't got much right.

"What is the sigil for House Greyjoy?" Asked Luwin of Bran.

"The Kraken." Was Bran's bored reply.

"Where is their seat?" Luwin questioned.

"Pyke." Bran said as he looked over to Theon.

"Good, now their words?" Luwin continued.

"Unbowed, unbent, unbroken." Bran said not really paying attention to what he was saying.

"Wrong, those are the Martell's words. The words of House Greyjoy are," Lewin said, and before he could continue, Theon interrupted him.

"We do not sow," Theon said with an arrogant smile, "and we're known for our skill in archery, sailing…" He wanted to say more, something of a crude nature, about their prowess in bed, but his eyes wandered to Arya. Saying something like that would probably not impress her and only remind her that he had at one time frequented a prostitute by the name of Ros. So instead he finished with something just as arrogant but more tame, "and handsome men."

For her part Arya just rolled her eyes as she watched Theon pluck another arrow and line up a shot. When he let the arrow go, he of course hit the target with ease. Once he was done he looked over to her as if to say, I told you so. Which only earned him another eye roll. She hopped up from where she sat and wondered how well he would shoot if he were distracted.

Theon just smiled, picked up another arrow and started to line up another shot. It took him a moment to decide where he wanted to place it. The target was already littered with arrows that he had already shot, most near the center. She took the time he was using to prepare, to creep up behind him as quietly as she could. Apparently it worked, because he hadn't sensed her while he concentrated on what he was doing. She grinned a little as she rested her hands on his waist and quickly raised herself on her tiptoes. She leaned in closer to him, so her mouth was near his ear and then whispered. "Better not miss!"

It was true he hadn't suspected anything from her, at least not until her hands had touched him. That alone would have been a little off putting. But then he felt her breath on his ear and neck as she she whispered to him. Almost instantly his body reacted and he shivered under her distractions. He lost focus on what he was doing. He let loose the arrow too soon, and as a result didn't even hit the target. He didn't care, the only thing he seemed to be able to concentrate on, were her tiny hands, which she hadn't yet removed from the sides of his waist and she was still breathing in his hear.

"I don't think that arrow landed where you wanted it to." She whispered in his ear before she lowered herself from the tips of her toes. There was a bit of a teasing laughter in her voice, that just made her seem all the more attractive to him.

He closed his eyes as he tried to calm himself down a bit. This girl was going to kill him, he decided. He lowered his bow carefully. He opened his eyes, and slowly turned around to look at her as her hands dropped from his sides. They were still very close to each other, but least she wasn't touching him any more, maybe he could think a bit more clearly. He did notice that impish little smile playing upon her lips. He hated that smile, and loved it at the same time. His voice was husky when he spoke, and a look of desire clearly in his eyes. "You don't play fair my lady."

"You were being arrogant. You needed to be taken down a peg." She answered simply.

He quirked an eyebrow, "is that so?"

"Yes," she said simply and then took a step away from him, a playful smile tugging at her lips as she turned her attention back to Bran and the Maester.

Theon watched as she turned from him and he realized that she knew exactly what she was doing. Perhaps she had figured out that he was attracted to her on some level, and she had used that to her advantage. He would be damned if he didn't admit that he was a little impressed with her. "Don't think you've gotten away with this." He said quietly from behind her. "I'll find a way to pay you back in kind."

It almost seemed like a promise and she wondered what exactly his pay back would be. She was on the cusp of asking him when the wolves, Nymeria and Summer, who had been lazing at Bran and the Maester's feet, started to whine pitifully. It almost seemed as if they were crying over something. Theon, Luwin, Bran, and Arya looked confused as they looked down to the wolves, who were now standing and looking to where Winterfell's gates were. It seemed as if that was where they wanted to go.

The Maester stood up as quickly as his old bones would allow. "Something must be wrong. Come Bran, let us get you inside, and maybe we can figure out what is going on."

Summer whined again, and Nymeria simply trotted a little way towards the main court yard and then looked back at the rest of them, as if to say she wanted them to follow. "I think they want us to go with." Muttered Bran.

Luwin looked like he wanted to object, but Theon simply called out to Hodor, who was never too far away from Bran. It took few moments before the gentle giant came around the corner of a building, eager to help. "Hodor, grab Bran and follow us." He knew that Arya would agree with Bran, and she would insist that all of them follow the wolves. He didn't want to waste time by having her argue with the Maester about what was going to happen, when in the end Arya would get her way, one way or another. "It's better this way," Theon said to Luwin when it seemed like he was going to disagree.

"He's right, the wolves always seem to know when something is wrong, and they'll protect us anyway." Arya put in with a tone that said nothing would change her mind.

Theon just gave Luwin a shrug and a look that said, _I told you so._ For a moment the Maester said nothing, a fleeting look of concern touching his features. He hadn't noticed how well the young Greyjoy boy had come to know, and understand Arya in the past few weeks. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He would have to keep an eye on the two. Finally he just nodded his head in agreement that they should go and see what the problem in the main court yard was.

It didn't take them long to get there and Arya wasn't at all surprised to see that Robb was already there with Grey Wind and Shaggydog, Rickon was there hiding behind Robb's cloak. Arya stepped next to him. "What is it?"

Robb didn't look at her, instead he watched as a wagon with two men riding upon it, approach them. "I don't know. The dire wolves seem to be restless though. That always makes me nervous."

Arya nodded her head. Every time something major was about to happen to one of them, the wolves seemed to sense it was coming. It kind of frightened her a little to think of the connection the wolves had to them. It almost seemed supernatural. And she had always been taught that those kinds of things didn't exist. Everyone was silent as the wagon grew closer and the wolves became more agitated. Finally it stopped before them, and the wolves let out a low howl, that made Arya shiver, because it sounded so sad, and that the howl seemed to be so in sync.

"Lord Robb," said one of the men on the wagon, "your father sent me with grim tidings." It was then that Arya realized she recognized the man who had spoken. It was one of the guards that he had taken with him when he left for Kings Landing. She cast a worried glance at Robb, considering what had been going on at Winterfell, she was certain that the worst had happened.

"Is Sansa okay?" She blurted out before anyone else could say anything more.

For a moment the man said nothing, and Arya was getting frustrated with his silence. He looked to Arya, then to Robb, "aye, she's okay. Except for maybe a broken heart." He said quietly. He jumped off of the wagon and bowed his head respectfully to Robb. "There was an incident on the King's Road," he said solemnly.

"What happened?" Robb asked, he cast a look over to the wagon that was obviously carrying something.

"Something….happened…between Sansa and Prince Joffery. No one really knows what happened for certain. We only know that the two of them had been walking and somehow the Prince was attacked by Lady. He was bit pretty badly. Sansa won't say what happened." The guard said bitterly. "The Prince seems to have the story that the dog went wild and attacked for no reason. It doesn't make any sense, Lady is usually so calm and trusting, just like the Lady Sansa."

"Unless she was protecting Sansa." Muttered Arya and Robb sent her a warning look, talk like that was dangerous. If Sansa and Joffery were alone, that meant that Joffery was the only one there who would have tried to hurt Sansa. That could be interpreted as treason. Arya frowned, but said no more.

"The Queen demanded some sort of punishment." The guard's voice went tense. "She demanded that Lady be killed."

Arya gasped lightly as she looked to the wagon, realizing now what must be in it. Robb's jaw seemed to harden when he heard the words. "Go on." He told the guard.

"Your father, did it himself. Made sure it was a clean kill. I don't think your sister is going to forgive him any time soon. But who knows how difficult the Queen's men would have made Lady's death if he hadn't done it." The guard said sadly. "He asked me to bring her back here, to Winterfell, make sure she got a proper northern burial. He also said something about not letting the Lannister woman get her hands on Lady's pelt."

At those last words, all the wolves growled lowly.

Arya could tell that Robb was angry, by the set of his jaw, and a small little twitch of his eyebrow. It was a look she had seen many times directed at her. But she had never seen the pure hatred that now touched his eyes before. She couldn't blame him for his reaction. She felt a surge of rage spike through her as she realized the Lannisters had indeed killed one of their own. She slipped a hand into her brother's hand and squeezed it as hard as she could. If only to let him know that he wasn't alone. From behind him Hodor stood with Bran. Bran's face held an angry frown as he looked towards the wagon, where now a couple of men were lifting a large burlap sack that must have held Lady's body. Bran rested a hand on Robb's shoulder. Rickon silently came up on Robb'ss other side and slipped his small hand into Robb's free hand. Arya craned her neck to look at Theon, who also held a solemn look. He felt her eyes on him, and he looked back at her. She held out her other hand. Without so much as a second thought he took her hand and twined their fingers together. He recognized that she needed him at that moment. None of them cried, but they were all sad and angry. They at least had each other to lean on, they would protect each other.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Once again I want to thank everyone for reading and I hope you all enjoy this chapter too.

To jbodaneze: Thank you so much for your comment. I read it right when I was having a difficult time writing part of this chapter. You have no idea how much it inspired me to keep going.

To Jaz: I hope I updated fast enough for you :)

To my French speaking reviewer: Thank you! I'd write a response in French, but I didn't want to butcher your language. I'm happy you like the escalating tension in Arya and Theon's relationship. I've been having fun writing it.

To jean d'arc: I'm happy you are still enjoying the story. You can't get much past Tyrion… can you.

**Chapter 9**

Arya sat on a bench at a table in the main hall, staring lazily at one of the tapestries that depicted a dire wolf, a large, fearsome creature of legend. She had an apple in one hand that she took a bite of from time to time, but it almost seemed to be as an afterthought. Nymeria lay underneath the table, boredom seemed to claim her much the same as Arya. Arya noted earlier that at the rate her wolf had been growing, she wouldn't be able to fit under the table much longer. She wondered just how big Nymeria would get. If the tapestry was any indication, Nymeria just might grow taller then her, but she wasn't sure if the picture was accurate.

Theon sat next to her, only facing the opposite direction. His back rested against the table, his arms crossed over his chest, legs stretched out before him, one ankle crossed over the other. He looked bored. Things had been quiet in Winterfell as of late. They had heard nothing from Eddard, nor Catelyn and waiting on any information seemed like torture. Even word from Sansa would have been welcome, both Arya and Theon were worried about the oldest Stark girl and her loss.

Arya dropped the unfinished apple on the table, and turned her neck to look at Theon's profile. "Do you think it's possible for the wolves to sense their siblings?" She paused a second, "I mean even if they're miles apart?"

He turned to look back at her, and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I guess it doesn't really seem likely, does it? It kind of seems like magic. Magic doesn't exist."

"I guess." Arya said hesitantly, almost like she didn't believe what she was saying. "I mean, I know what you say makes sense…"

"But?" Theon prodded, a smirk raising upon his lips, this line of questioning seemed to amuse him.

That did not, however, did not amuse Arya, she didn't like thinking that she was being made fun of. She gave him an annoyed clare. "Nothing, forget I even brought it up." Then turned her attention back to the tapestry.

The smirk left his face as soon as she turned away from him, knowing that he upset her. He straightened up, so that he was sitting normally. He nudged her her arm with his to get her attention. "Hey, come on now. I didn't mean anything by that. Talk to me." She scooted a little bit closer to her, and then said in a conspiratorial whisper, "I promise I'll be nice, and I won't tell anyone."

For a moment she didn't say anything, "I think Nymeria might have known when Bran fell from the tower. Or at least she must have known of Summer's distress when he fell. Nymeria was the reason I decided to go back home that day. She was so restless."

"It could be a coincidence. Or maybe she heard Summer howl," Theon responded. "Wolves have better ears then we do."

"I thought that too." Arya said, turning to face him. "But then I remember the night that Bran woke up. The wolves, all of them were excited. What if that had been the night my father was forced to kill Lady?" Her eyes were still filled with sadness every time she talked about Sansa's wolf, even though they had found out about several weeks ago. "It's possible that the time of Lady's death and the time around when Bran woke up, it could have coincided."

Theon thought on what she said for a moment. "I guess it's possible," he admitted. "For all we know direwolves really could have a mental link. They are a rare creature, I don't think they've been studied too closely. But there's no way we can tell for certain."

Arya nodded again, with a small sigh, "I guess you're right. It was a stupid idea anyway."

Theon gave her a small smile. "No, not stupid, far fetched maybe. But not stupid."

It was then then Winterfell's steward came in, followed by a man, who in stature was not much bigger then Arya and who was obviously not a native of Westeros. The steward looked at Theon and Arya with a quirked eyebrow. "Where is Lord Robb?"

"I'm right here," answered Robb entering from one of the rear doors. Grey Wind let out a small growl at the stranger in their midst. Lately the wolf seemed as over protective as Robb did. Another quirk that Arya noticed, the wolves seemed to be taking on the traits of their masters. Robb rested his hand gently on Grey Wind's neck to calm him. "Shh, it's okay." He said quietly to his wolf. Yet Robb's eyes still looked suspiciously on the foreigner.

The steward stepped forward, "my lord, this is Syrio Forel, First Sword of Braavos, he was sent by your father, he says he has a letter of introduction, but that he's been instructed to only give it to you."

Robb nodded is head and then dismissed the steward. Arya and Theon both got up to leave to give Robb the privacy he deserved to receive the letter from his father. Robb looked up at the two of them. "It's okay, you can stay." He had figured his father had sent him some information, perhaps about their mother. Arya would want to know the information and he had no doubt that once she knew, Theon would know too. Those two had become thick as thieves the last few weeks. Besides if there was sensitive information within this letter, he trusted the two of them to keep it quiet. Robb looked to this Syrio Forel, his hand held out ready to receive the letter his father had sent.

"Ah, yes of course." Syrio's Braavosi accent thick. He pulled a scroll of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Robb with a graceful bow. Arya could see her father's unbroken wax seal and she stepped over to where Robb stood, wanting to read over his shoulder, but she stopped herself, knowing it would be rude. But she was practically bouncing on her toes, eager to hear news.

It seemed to take forever for Robb to open the parchment. Arya thought he might be purposefully taking a long time unrolling it and then reading it, knowing the wait was killing her. When he was done he looked up at Syrio, and Arya could tell there was some concern in his eyes. He handed the letter for Arya to read, which she did so carefully as he spoke up. "My father hired you to instruct Arya in the ways of Braavosi water dancing, and you ware welcome here for that." Robb's scowl hardened. "He also said you were to accompany my mother on her way back from King's Landing. Where is she?"

For a moment the Braavosi was silent. His lips a firm line, his expression grim. "We were stopped at an inn, I believe it was somewhere near the Twins," he started to explain slowly. "When we were there, a dwarf also came to rest there."

Robb knew that could mean it was only one person, "Tyrion Lannsiter."

Syrio confirmed, "it was. Your mother, she was angry with him, she convinced several men that were there that it would be in their best interest to help her detain him. She told those present that she would take Tyrion to Winterfell to stand trial for his crimes. Specifically, the attempted murder of your brother. Before she set out, however, she pulled me aside and ordered me to go on to Winterfell. She had made the decision to take him to the Eyrie, to your Aunt Lysa. I suppose saying that she was going to Winterfell was a ruse to keep the Lannisters off of her trail. She said she would send a raven soon, when she thought it would be safe."

Robb just stared at him for a moment, trying to process the news he brought. _His mother had taken Lord Tyrion hostage._ And people were worried about him acting rashly. His mother had made a bold move, and he was concerned about what events it might trigger. Finally he seemed to find his voice. "You are welcome here Master Forel. I'm sure Arya will be grateful for your instruction. Thank you for bringing us this news."

Arya had finished the letter while listening to Syrio's tale of what had happened for her mother. She silently cheered that Catelyn had done something about Tyrion. However, she saw the tension in Robb's shoulders. He was worried about something, probably that he thought his mother acted without thinking. She bit her lip lightly as she looked from Robb to Syrio. The whole room seemed to be filled with tension and it made her uncomfortable.

After another second of silence, Arya spoke up, hoping to break the tension, after all it wasn't Syrio's fault that her mother might have made a mistake. "What's the Braavosi Water Dance?" She took a few steps towards Forel.

The Braavosi gave her a quick, appraising eye. "You must be Arya." He said, and then continued when she nodded at him in the affirmative. "It is a unique form of sword fighting. You have the right build, perhaps you might even have the grace. We shall see."

Theon watched the two interact for a moment, and when he was certain Arya's attention was with their guest, he moved to stand by Robb. His voice was low so it wouldn't get Arya's attention. "The Lannisters will not let this go, they'll see this as an insult."

Robb simply nodded his head, he knew full well what the ramifications could be for what his mother had done. "I know," was his simple reply.

—

Robb found out about the first bad thing to happen because of Cat's action one morning ten days later. Theon and Robb were watching Arya's 'dancing' lessons. It looked exhausting just watching her, the man had her twirling and dancing around. It looked graceful, but neither of them could understand how any of it would actually help her in a fight. They were used to a much more straight forward style of fighting. The both winced, Arya had missed blocking a particularly vicious hit from Syrio's wooden sword and it had struck true on her arm.

"That will probably leave a mark." Theon commented lightly.

Robb chuckled a little as Arya cast a glare in Theon's direction. She seemed to look even more determined as she brought her attention back to Syrio, letting him know she was ready to start again. "She's probably going to complain about us watching her, that we're a distraction."

"You're probably right." Theon laughed a little. "Maybe we should leave before she takes out her mistakes on us."

"Probably a good idea." Robb said with a smile. They both gave the two 'dancers' one last glance and then turned to leave the yard.

On the way back to the main building they were greeted by Maester Luwin, his hand clutching a scrap of parchment. "Lord Robb, I have news." The old man's face was grim and Robb could tell that whatever it was he had to share, it wasn't good.

"What is it?" Robb asked with trepidation.

Luwin cast a glance to where Arya and Syrio were as if he wanted make sure they couldn't be overheard. Then he looked back to Robb. "Let us go inside, less ears to hear what I have to say." Without waiting for a response from Robb, he turned around and led the way with as much haste as he could muster.

Once they reached the safety of the great hall, Robb looked at Luwin with concern. "What is it?" His voice held a quiet authority, that wasn't lost on Luwin. Young Robb seemed to be taking well to his role as Lord of Winterfell, while his father was away. The Maester was relieved for that, things were about to get a little complicated for the boy.

"I got a raven from King's Landing. Jaime Lannister attacked your father and a few guardsmen on the streets of the city." The Maester held up his hand to hold off on any comments from Robb or Theon. "Your father is alive, they stabbed him through the leg, but he is alive." He paused a moment, wondering how to break the rest of the news. "They killed the guards who were accompanying him. Jory Cassel was one of them. I am sorry Robb."

"They've attacked my family _again?"_ They were the only words Robb could vocalize at the moment. His father had been hurt, attacked by a member of the Kings Guard. A friend had been murdered in the streets of the city that seated the so called Protecter of the Realm. Jory, gods, they had sparred with him, he had taught Jon, Robb, and Theon the very basics of the blade. And now he was dead. His father could have died.

"They claim it was in retaliation for taking Tyrion." Luwin said quietly.

"And how did the King respond to all of this?" Robb asked, his voice hard.

"I do not know much of the specifics." Luwin said quietly. "It does appear that Jaime has fled King's Landing, presumably to go back to Castlery Rock."

"What are you going to do?" Theon asked quietly. He looked just as shaken as Robb felt. Neither of them thought that the situation would escalate to the point that Eddard himself would be in danger.

"I don't know." Was all Robb could say. At the moment there wasn't much he could do. His father while injured was alive, the King might have already stepped in to calm the escalating relations between the Starks and Lannisters. To do anything might provoke further hostilities. He also knew that his mother was dealing with a precarious situation in the Eyrie. There were too many variables for Robb to do anything dramatic. Right now it all he could do was wait and see. He hated it. "We keep this from Rickon, Bran, and," at this he looked specifically at Theon, "Arya. We don't tell them anything until we know more. Let's let them have have a few days of blissful ignorance before we have to tell them what happened."

—

In one of Syrio Forel's more interesting training techniques, he had Arya balance on one foot at the top of a flight of stairs. He had told her that water dancers could stand on one foot for long periods of time, so she spent much of her free time doing exactly that. Over the last couple of days there was a tension within Winterfell and she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Theon had been more solemn and Robb walked around with a scowl on his face most of the time. She hadn't enjoyed either of their company, she knew they were keeping things from her again and she knew they wouldn't tell her until they were ready to. So she found that she spent most of her time with Syrio, or practicing what Syrio had taught her.

Theon found her doing just that, practicing. Arya stood at the top of the stairs that led up to her room. She stood on her left foot, both arms outstretched to the sides, helping to keep her balanced. Her eyes were closed in concentration, so she had no idea that he was there. He stood a few steps down from where she was, and all he could do was stare at her for a few moments. She certainly was beautiful, he could admit that to himself now without berating himself, even when she didn't look the way a highborn lady was expected to look. Since her mother had left Winterfell she had taken to wearing trousers and the shirts her brother favored. He supposed it was easier to move around in, especially when she was practicing her sword play. Her dark hair was almost always pulled back, away from her face. And even though she was messy and wild, to him, she was lovely. After a few moments more of admiring her, he cleared his throat to announce that he was there. She opened her eyes to look at him, swaying only slightly, and making a few small adjustments to her balance so she wouldn't fall.

"What exactly are you doing?" Asked Theon.

"Syrio says it will help my balance." Arya stated. "I'm getting better." She sounded proud of herself.

"You've been practicing a lot have you?" Theon asked as he climbed a step closer to her.

"Yep." Was her matter of fact response. "I've had plenty of time. I probably will continue to have plenty of time until you or Robb decide to tell me what's going on."

Theon let a ghost of a smile come to his lips as he climbed a few more steps. "So it's to be the silent treatment then?"

Arya had noticed him coming closer, the playful glint in his eye made her a little nervous, and her concentration was starting to waiver. She wobbled a little, but managed to keep her balance without resorting to standing on two feet. "That's the plan." She said quietly as he stepped on the step just below where she stood. Her being on the upper step made it so that she was closer to his hight and she was able to look him in the eye easily. "What are you doing?" She tried to make her voice sound annoyed, but it came out more flustered than anything.

That of course made his smile widen a little. He hadn't forgotten what she had done to him all those weeks ago in the practice yard when she had made him miss his shot. This would be his payback. "Distracting you."

Being this close to him was always put her on edge and she had to actively work to pretend he didn't make her nervous. So of course her concentration broke as she tried to remain on a single foot and her balance was thrown off. She started to stumble forward, luckily she had Theon's body there to stop her from tumbling down the stairs. Instinctively Theon had raised his arms to catch her, wrapping them around her slender waist to keep her safe. Her hands grasped at his shoulders as they were the easiest thing she could grab on to. They stood there, entwined like that for a moment.

The smile from Theon's face was gone, as he looked down into her surprised eyes, they probably mirrored his. Perhaps he hadn't thought through this plan of his properly. He hadn't anticipated her literally falling into his arms like this. He could feel the warmth of her body, the beating of her heart, which seemed a bit rapid at the moment. It felt like his heart might be beating just as rapidly. In that moment there were several things he wanted to do. Their lips were so close that if he moved just a couple of inches he could have kissed her, gods, he wanted to kiss her. If he was honest, he wanted to do more then kiss her. She felt so right in his arms that wanted to hold her forever. He wanted to tell her how he felt. He didn't want to do anything to make that moment end. And all at the same time, he wanted to let her go, turn away from her and run, because he knew he couldn't do any of the things he really wanted to do.

So instead, he gathered all his strength and opened his mouth. "Are you okay my lady?"

And that was enough to break the trance that Arya had felt come over her. She had been affected in pretty much the same way Theon had been. She furrowed her brow at his words and pushed herself away from him. "I'm fine." Then as kind of an afterthought. "And don't call me my lady, you keep doing that!"

He couldn't help but chuckle a little and started to recover his wits. He managed to give her an amused smirk. "As you wish."

"What did you want anyway?" She asked grumpily as she looked to him, her eyes blazing with annoyance, she wasn't sure if it was aimed at him for making her feel the way she did, or at herself for allowing it to happen.

"Robb wanted me to find you." Theon shrugged. "Bran's saddle is made, and he wanted to know if you wanted to go out with us to see how it works."

"Well why didn't you say so in the first place!" This time she managed to give a bright smile and dashed pasted him and bounded down the stairs.

—

Bran was the only one to take a horse that day, Robb, Theon, Rickon and Bran were all on foot. Four wolves walked ahead of them, no doubt stalking for small prey. Robb was armed with a sword, Arya her Needle and Theon with his bow. Even little Rickon held a practice sword, if only to feel like his older siblings. Arya could tell her brother seemed to be a bit on edge, even within their own lands, that's why they were all armed. Whatever Theon and Robb were keeping from her, it was bad. She shivered a little, when she heard one of their wolves let out a single howl. Rickon laughed as a child with not a care in the world would and bounded off into the woods towards where the sound came from.

"Damn it." Robb cursed quietly. "Rickon get back here!" He called after the boy, who did not heed his older brother. "Keep going," He told the other three. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere, we'll catch up." It had been several minutes, and Robb still hadn't found his way back to them. They could here him in the distance calling for Rickon through the trees.

Theon brought what remained of their little party to a stop. "I should probably go and help," He said with a small sigh. "Stay with Bran, Arya. If anything happens, call for help. I won't go far." He looked at her pointedly, begging her to do what he asked this time. He was worried about leaving the two of them there alone, but he was also worried about the much younger boy who might be lost in the forest. He waited until Arya nodded her head, agreeing to stick close to Bran. She wasn't about to leave him alone. Once he was satisfied that she would stay put, he slowly made his way back towards where they had left Robb.

For a moment all was silent, then Arya looked up at her little brother. "Does it feel good to be back on a horse?" Her tone was blunt, but her eyes were curious. He seemed to be somewhat happier this afternoon then he had been in a long while.

He looked at her blankly for a moment and then allowed his face to light up in a boyish grin. "You have no idea how good it feels!"

Arya couldn't help but return the smile and they were able to go on a few moments, chatting about the feeling of being outside and alive. They were enjoying each other's company so much that they didn't notice the four wildings that crept ever closer, easily surrounding them.

"Look what we found, eh?" said a gruff voice, and Arya immediately reached for her Needle, knowing that these people didn't mean to give them any kindness. "A little lordling and a little lady. I wouldn't reach for the steel lass."

Arya's brow furrowed as one of the others spoke up. "What shall we do with 'em?"

"I dunno, but they might fetch us a pretty price. Or we can steal the weapon and the horse is a mighty fine animal." Answered the one who seemed to be the leader.

"We're not out here alone!" Arya said through gritted teeth, her hands fisted tight and she felt her nails digging into her palms. She itched for her sword.

"I don't see none around." Said the only woman who was in the small band of misfits. "But just in case don't yell out loud." She said gruffly.

"My brother is going to be back soon, I suggest you leave before he comes." Bran said trying to remain calm, but Arya could hear the panic in his voice.

The woman took a closer step to Bran along with one of her friends who had a knife out, ready to take on Bran. The leader and the last savage stepped closer to Arya. "You do have spirit lass. I should think I would like a turn with you." The leader leered at her and she couldn't help but shudder a little bit. She noticed that he held a wicked looking knife and she gulped, wondering if she should take her chances and scream for Theon and her brother.

"You won't touch me, you disgusting slop." Arya said with a deathly calm. She would put up a fight, she was a trained water dancer, well on the way to becoming one one anyway, he would be no match for her if she could just reach for her Needle.

The others laughed and the other creature that was closest to her, looked at his leader with a lear. "I think she likes ya."

"You leave my sister alone!" Shouted Bran as he squirmed in his saddle, feeling helpless because he could do nothing to protect her.

"Or what little lord?" Asked the leader as he took another step towards Arya with a laugh. He grabbed her roughly and pulled her close so that her back was against his front and his knife was at her throat. "Perhaps the little lord would like to watch."

The next little bit that happened, happened so fast it was all a blur, it was hard to keep track of how it all played out. She knew that an arrow had whipped past her cheek and buried itself with in her captors neck, followed by another that hit his eye. As he fell, Arya felt the knife slice the skin at her neck shallowly, but she paid no attention. She grabbed her Needle and bounded over to the woman who was near Bran and held her small blade to the woman's neck, daring her to move. There was a flash of fur and several growls as three wolves jumped upon the other captor that was near Bran. Robb came in swiftly and was able to cut down the last captive. It all happened in a matter of moments.

Theon came out quickly making his way to Arya. "Are you okay?" Were the first words out of his mouth, not even paying attention to the fact that she was holding her blade at a hostage's neck.

"I'm kind of busy at the moment." Arya said tightly, her heart was still racing at the excitement. Although the she probably could have dropped Needle's point away from the woman. The wilding kept glancing terrified at the wolves and what remained of one of her companions.

"You are bleeding." Was his only answer as he took a step closer to Arya. His eyes solely on the side of her neck where she had been hurt.

"Theon, it's nothing, I'm fine. Focus your attention on the fact that I have a wilding at the end of my blade." She said pointedly.

"Oh, of course." That seemed to wake him up and he turned to Robb, who was checking to make sure the others were indeed dead and that Bran was okay. "Robb, what should we do with the girl."

Robb looked up, his face was hard, Arya had never seen him look this angry before. He gave a quick glare to Theon as he walked over to the woman. He had grabbed some rope from Bran's saddle bag. He moved behind their captive and started to tie her hands up. "Where in the seven hells were you, it took you long enough to take that shot?" Arya looked from Robb to Theon while she lowered her sword arm.

For his part Theon managed glare right back at Robb. "I had to make sure it was clear. I didn't want to hit your sister by mistake."

"You shouldn't have left them in the first place." Mumbled Robb. Arya could tell he wasn't really angry with Theon, he was more angry that the whole thing had happened and more then a little scared that it had happened so close to home.

"I'm sorry, my lord." Theon said quietly, and Arya could tell that he was seething too. Then he turned his attention back to Arya, once he knew Robb was securing the prisoner, "Let me see your neck." He said seriously to Arya.

"It's fine." She mumbled, but she tilted her head to the side so he could get a look at her injury. "It's only a scratch."

He took a step forward and put his hands on her neck and peered at it closely. Her skin warmed at his touch. "We should have Measter Luwin take a look as soon as we get back."

Robb for his part saw the whole exchange, and he had a sick feeling in his stomach. "Let's go," he said a little too hard. His tone forced the two to step away from each other, Theon looking more then a little guiltily and Arya looking only confused. Rickon came out from behind a tree, followed by Shaggydog, who must have been protecting Rickon while the other wolves helped to take care of the wildings. The little boy seemed a little subdued as he took Arya's hand. She gave Theon a quick look then started to follow Robb who had started back toward's Winterfell. Theon stood watching as the rest of the Starks went ahead of him. He shook his head free of the thoughts of what could have happened to the young Stark girl. The slowly started walking after them.

—

"What is going on between you and Arya?" Robb said more then a little bracingly as he entered the armory where Theon was putting away his and the rest of the party's weapons.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Theon looked at him with an eyebrow raised in amusement. He would have to be careful about what he would say to his friend about his sister. This was going to be a difficult conversation.

"I saw the way you looked at her." Robb answered darkly. "And Luwin mentioned something about the two of you becoming too close."

"Robb, we're friends, that's it." Theon turned back to his work, hoping that Robb couldn't see his face. It felt like he had had this conversation before. Oh that's right he did, with Jon. He knew his words were lies, but he also knew he would attempt to make them the truth in the future. "She asked me to teach her how to use a bow, and I taught her. We became friends. Anything else you think you saw, is purely your imagination."

Robb continued to give him a dark stare, even though Theon didn't see it, he felt the heaviness of it. "You'll hurt her."

Theon slammed down a knife he had been cleaning and turned back to the person who he had thought was his friend. "Why does everyone keep saying that! Don't you know who I am? When have I ever given you reason to doubt me?"

"Says the man who used to weekly visit the town's brothel." Robb answered back simply. "What was your favorite again? Ah, yes Ros."

His anger was getting the better part of Theon, and his hands balled into fists. He was very close to punching Robb, the consequences be damned. "Did you hear the word you just used, Lord Robb?" His tone wasn't very respectful at the moment. "I _used_ to go to the town's brothel. I _used_ to go see Ros. I haven't been there since, gods, since before your father left for Kings Landing."

That seemed to catch Robb off guard and he had to give that a few minutes thought to see if it registered right. And with silent realization he knew it was true. "Oh." Was all he could say.

"I would do nothing to hurt Arya." Theon said quietly. "You have to at least believe that."

Again Robb was silent for moment, carefully looking at his friend. "It will never work." He knew of Theon's feelings the moment he saw his reaction when he predicted that he was going to hurt his sister. "My father, he would never…"

"You don't think I don't know that." Theon snapped, realizing that denying his feelings would be stupid. "I'm not good enough for the Starks. I'm reminded of that every single day." His tone was bitter.

Robb sighed. "Actually I think my father would find the match… somewhat ideal." He leaned against one of the weapons tables, crossing his arms. "A marriage between our families could ease tensions with the Iron Islands. Politically speaking it would be a perfect match." Robb said knowledgeably. "But, for his youngest daughter, he has somewhat of a soft spot…"

The moment was tense, until Theon let out a soft chuckle. These realizations made him upset, but he couldn't stay mad at Robb. "And Arya would never agree to _that_ kind of marriage. I know that too. Would you think any less of me if I told you that kind of hurt." He said a bit deflated as he leaned next to Robb, a bit deflated.

"You expected anything less with Arya?" Robb asked him a bit incredulous. The both laughed at that for a few seconds. "How in the seven hells did you fall for her? I mean… she's Arya."

"She's got spirit." Theon admitted. "And honestly, I'm not sure how or why it happened. One day, she was like an annoying little girl who kept on pestering me to teach her how to fight and prefect her bow and arrow skill. And then one day I woke up and she… grew up."

Robb shook his head. "I don't' get it. She's not very lady like and not very pretty. I thought Sansa would be more more to your liking."

"I did too, it's somewhat of a mystery, even to me." Theon said.

Robb laughed, and let it fade into a silent lull in the conversation.

"She can't know about this, you know." Theon said after a moment. He had a feeling Arya might return the feelings he had for her, but he doubted that she would admit it out loud, and definitely not to him. "She cannot know my feelings. I could take her anger, and she'll probably, no doubt, go violent on me. It's in her nature. But I think if she decided to pity me, that would be worse." Theon said quietly.

"Don't worry, " Robb sighed. "Just promise me you'll get over this infatuation before it becomes a problem and you start brooding all around the keep. That could be just depressing." He playfully gave his friend a shove.

Theon just laughed, "Don't worry about me. I can handle this." He straightened up and answered Robb's shove with one of his own. At least his friend didn't hate him. They moved to exit the armory and Theon became a bit more serious. "She know's something is up. I think we keep underestimating her observational skills. You're going to have to tell her about your father getting hurt and Jory and his men being killed. You and I haven't been very good at pretending everything is alright. The longer you keep it from her, they angrier she's going to get."

Robb nodded his head. "I know. I've put it off long enough. I'll tell her and Bran tonight after supper."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Again a quick thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

To my French speaking reviewer: I could not make Robb and Theon have too bad of a confrontation. I love their friendship. As for Theon and Arya having a happy ending? All I'm going to say is there road will be long and it will have many ups and downs. Who knows how it will all end… well, I guess I do. But I'm not telling.

To Jaz: I'm so happy you're loving this. I love writing it! Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

To Andi: I kind of wish I had the time to post a new chapter everyday! :)

**Chapter 10**

"I don't like walking these woods." Theon said grumpily.

"I've walked the Godswood my entire life." Arya nonchalantly said. "Nothing bad has happened to me before, and we have Nymeria with us. I doubt anything is going to happen. There are no Lannisters hiding in the shadows. We haven't heard anything from Father in awhile. Maybe the King has started to make things right, and we don't have to worry anymore." Robb had told her what had happened to Father and Jory, and the guards. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't scared for her father and the rest of the household that went to King's Landing. But things had been blessedly quiet the last few days, and in her opinion, no news was good news.

"It's not just the Lannisters I fear." Theon said quietly, his eyes scanned the trees as they walked further towards the Heart Tree.

"Have you been listening to that wilding woman?" Arya asked a hint of amusement coming into her voice. "And here I thought Osha was just telling Bran tales to scare him. Apparently, they work on you too." He could hear the laughter in her voice threatening to bubble out. "You're scared of white walkers and giants. Should we add ghosts and wargs to that list too?"

"You laugh at me, my lady." He answered her, a shadow of a grin playing upon his lips. "But maybe what she says isn't so far fetched. What if she _is_ telling the truth, that she climbed the Wall to escape some terrible, ancient evil that had woken. After all that Wall was built for a reason."

"You don't really believe that." Arya said shaking her head in disbelief.

"Of course I don't, at least I don't believe in the horror stories that she's telling your brother." He said as they came upon the Heart Tree. "But there is something going on, you cannot deny that. The wildings, they are restless, it's rare they come this far south, and Osha said they wanted to go further. It might not be the white walkers, but something scared her. And if something scared her, other wildings might be frightened too and making their way south."

"You're worried we'll be attacked again?" concern tinged her voice as she asked.

"I'm always concerned when there might be a threat." He said as he looked at the face carved into the tree. "Especially now, things seem dangerous, even when it's quiet. I can't explain why I feel uneasy. I just do. I have since we heard about Jory being killed, maybe even before that. Then you and Bran were attacked, it's like everything that can go wrong is going wrong. I keep waiting for the next bad thing to happen"

"Theon Greyjoy," She smiled a little. "I never knew you could be so serious, or so pessimistic."

"You're worried too," He answered her smile. "Don't try to deny it. You come here when you want peace."

Arya shrugged her shoulders as if it didn't matter why she came here. "I feel closer to my father here. He prayed here often."

"So you pray here?" Theon asked.

"Maybe, I don't know, I wish for the safety of my father, and my sister. I don't know if that counts has praying." Arya said looking at the tree's face. "Do you think they have have the power to make those wishes come true."

"They might." Theon said, although he didn't sound convinced.

"What about your god from the Iron Islands?" Arya asked hearing his skepticism. "Does the Drowned God have any power?"

"I'm not sure he's my god." He answered with a small chuckle. "You forget, Little Wolf, I grew up here. Your father tried to make sure he taught me the ways of the Ironborn, including their faith. But it's hard to believe in a god who's domain is the sea when you are no where near the sea. I saw your mother worship her Seven and your father his old gods, maybe I believe in their power."

"So you've adopted our gods then?" Arya asked, her head canted to the side.

"I'm not sure about that exactly." Theon said, it was something he hadn't given much thought to. "I'm guess I'm saying I don't know where to put my faith."

Arya nodded, she understood his words completely. "I don't know either. None of these gods have really kept my family safe and look at how much time and effort my parents put into honoring them. Syrio says there's only one god."

"And what god is that?" Theon asked.

"Death." Arya said simply.

They stayed quiet for awhile after that, contemplating the gods. It seemed an odd conversation for the two of them, neither of them ever gave much thought on the topic of the many gods of Westeros. After a few moments, Arya seemed to be ready to end the stillness of the moment. "I think I'm ready to go," she said solemnly.

He looked relieved that she was ready to go back to the keep, back where he felt safer. "Good."

"I could have come by myself." Arya offered chuckling a little.

"And you know that's not an option." Theon smiled back at her. "Especially after what happened with the wildlings. You think your brother would let you wander around here alone?"

"And you wouldn't let me either." She said a little grumpily. "But at least I'm in good company."

"You almost sound like you mean that." He said with a smirk.

"I actually think I do mean it." She said as she started off in the direction of the keep. He moved to walk with her. "I mean, we have become pretty good friends, haven't we?" She looked up to him as they walked.

"Aye, I guess we have." Theon agreed.

"You like it here, at Winterfell, right?" Arya questioned.

"Of course." He looked down at her, perplexed by her line of questioning. "What's bringing this on, Arya?"

"I don't know," She shrugged trying to sound nonchalant, but she couldn't hide the bit of worry in her voice, "just when we were talking back there, about the gods, you mentioned something about how my father tried to teach you the ways of your people and I got the feeling that you didn't think being taught about it and actually living it were two different things. It made me wonder if you were happy here, or if you might resent us. You didn't come here under the best of terms."

"I came here because of something my father did." Theon said, trying to reassure her, "despite that, Lord Stark never treated me like a hostage." He didn't add that he sometimes fhe felt caught in between being family and being a guest among the Starks. He tried to give her a smile, but it seemed sad and a little forced.

She noticed his expression, "But he never gave you the warmth a child would want or need either." Arya guessed quietly. "I think my father did the best that he could. It must have been hard having to raise another man's son. I can't imagine it would sit well with him. If he had treated you like a son, he would have felt like he was disrespecting your father."

"You have a point." He said. "I know what you say makes sense. It doesn't make it any easier growing up knowing that you don't belong in the only place you've ever considered your home."

Arya stopped walking and grabbed his hand so that he would stop too. When they stopped so abruptly he stopped to look at her questioningly. "You belong here Theon. You must know that." She said emphatically. "Even if you weren't born here, you're still one of us."

He gave her a smile any gave her hand a squeeze. "That's not true my lady. Your father may have raised me, but he knows I am Ironborn, that I have the sea in my blood. You said it yourself, he couldn't have me thinking that Winterfell was my true home."

"But Robb thinks of you as a brother." Arya said.

"He _is_ my brother, in all but blood." Theon said. "But I am a Greyjoy. I don't resent that fact, Arya. My childhood could have been a lot worse. I'm sorry if I made it seem like I was unhappy with my life here. I'm not. I just know that I will not be here forever, that eventually I'll have to go back to Pyke, a place I haven't seen since I was a child. It won't be my home, not really, at least not at first. It's sometimes a little overwhelming for me to think about. Do not worry about me."

Arya frowned a little, "I'm not worried about you." She might have been, but he didn't need to know about that.

Theon smiled. "Yes you are," he insisted.

"No I'm not! Why would I be worried about you?" Was Arya's emphatic reply as she jerked her hand away from his and started to stalk away from him. She was becoming flustered at where this line of talk was going.

"Because you care about me." He replied cockily as he followed after her.

"No, I don't." Was her petulant reply.

"No?" He asked as he grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. They had almost reached the Keep, but he was interested to see what her answer would be. "Then tell me, if Robb thinks of me as a brother, what is it you think of me as?" He had that cocky smirk playing on his features.

Seeing his expression only made her annoyed with him, she hated that he could get under her skin like this. She yanked her arm away from him. She gave him her best glare. "I'm not going to answer that." And she quickly stormed off toward Winterfell's main building.

Theon merely chuckled at the response she offered him. Clearly he had touched a nerve. "I think that's answer enough, my lady!" He called after her and then followed him easily with a smile on his lips.

Arya was the first to stomp her way into the main hall. Still a bit off kilter by her conversation with Theon. She still wasn't ready to confront her feelings for him, and he seemed to want to push the issue. She stopped when she noticed the Maester and Robb, holding what seemed to be a solemn conversation on the far end of the room. Theon stopped when she did, she gave him a sideways glance and noticed the smug look he had upon his face. She rolled her eyes, and nodded in the direction of her brother and Luwin, Theon hadn't seemed to notice them yet.

"What do you think happened now?" She whispered, a little worry creeping into her thoughts.

Their conversation forgotten for a moment, Theon looked at the two men, concern growing within him. "I don't know, come on," He said placing a hand on her lower back, he started to guide her towards Robb. "Let's find out."

Once the pair reached where the other two men were talking, Robb brought his attention to them. He looked grim. He knew they had figured something was up, and he was done keeping things from his sister. "King Robert is dead." He said simply.

"What?" Arya asked a bit confused, she had known the King was fat, and perhaps enjoyed his drink too much, but otherwise he seemed healthy enough. It seemed a bit sudden. "How did it happen?"

"Hunting accident," Luwin said, "apparently." From his tone, the others could tell that he wasn't completely willing to believe _that _story. His concern was that perhaps the Lannisters had finally decided to make their move upon the throne, it was well known that they were an ambitious family. Joffery was more Lannister than Barotheon, he would most likely be under the sway of his mother. Could this have something to do with why Bran had been thrown from that tower?

Theon was not stupid, he had the same thoughts. ""What does this mean for Lord Stark?"

"Will he be safe in King's Landing?" Arya seemed anxious. "With the King dead, he's run low on powerful friends in the city. They've already attacked him on the streets, even with the King still in position to protect him. What happens now?"

"I don't know, Arya." Robb said. "We have to trust that Father knows what he's doing. The King didn't die right away, he almost certainly made arrangements for what would happen after his death. Maybe we're worried for nothing. I'm sure Father will send a raven when things have calmed down." But even he didn't sound convinced by his own words.

"I hate waiting ," Arya said sullenly. Her eyes sought out Theon and he was looking at her, she could tell that his thoughts were the same as hers. He had been right, back there in the woods, bad things seemed to keep happening. She had no doubt that this just might be the beginning and that the worst was yet to come. She shuddered at the thought.

—

The air around Winterfell over the next few days was tense. Every raven that had come, brought fear and worry to the Stark children. For days they had waited for bad news, but none came. For a brief moment, Arya had thought they had all been on edge for nought, maybe their Father had managed to contain the situation in King's Landing, maybe everything would be okay.

Then one morning Old Nan, an old serving woman that had been with the Starks since before even Robb had been born, hobbled into Arya's room unannounced. "Lord Robb wanted me to come tell you a raven's come from King's Landing."

Arya had been getting ready for her next 'dancing' lesson and had just finished placing Needle in her sword belt. When she heard Old Nan's words her heart seemed to go cold. Her fear kept her from saying anything to the old woman. Instead she just moved towards the door.

Before she could depart form her room, Nan touched Arya's arm to stop the girl from leaving. Her words held a small warning, "brace yourself child, remember 'dark wings, dark words.'"

Arya shivered when she heard the old adage, whatever the raven had brought from King's Landing, it wasn't good news. She felt herself nod her head towards Nan, to let the woman know she understood, she couldn't trust her voice at the moment. Then quickly she dashed out of her room, down the stairs, and into Winterfell's great hall. She had not been the first one to arrive there. Hodor must have brought Bran, for he sat there at a table, a frown etched across his face. Rickon sat on the floor next to Shaggydog, petting him absentmindedly. The youngest Stark must have known something was wrong, his eyes darted nervously, from one person to the next. Robb was seated the table too, Theon next to him, both of their faces showing obvious concern as Robb seemed to be reading a piece of parchment. Luwin stood slightly behind them, he was paler then usual and Arya could see a fear in his eyes.

Arya rushed to join the others. "What happened?" She demanded before anyone could say anything to her.

"It's from Sansa," Robb said dully, almost as if he didn't believe what he was saying. He held up the parchment he had been reading.

"It might be from Sansa, My Lord," Luwin said quietly. "But those are the Queen's words."

"What does it say?" Arya her voice hardened in annoyance that no one seemed to be giving her any real answers.

"Father has been arrested, branded a traitor against the crown and is accused of conspiring with Lords Renly and Stannis in an attempt to keep the rightful heir, King Joffery off the throne." Arya could tell that Robb was actively trying to keep his voice calm. "

"That, doesn't make any sense." Arya could here her voice rising.

"Renly disappeared almost immediately after the King died, he took many men with him, and nobody has heard anything from him yet. It could look suspicious if the right people twisted events around to suit their stories. Whether it is true or not, they used it also to make your Father look guilty. We all know he would never betray King Robert's rightful heir." Luwin said.

"What about Stannis, where is he?" Arya spit out, if they couldn't count on Renly for help, what of the other Barotheon brother.

"He's been quiet too. But I doubt either of them will stay quiet for long with the accusations the Crown is throwing about. I have no doubt they'll be gathering fighting men of their own." Luwin answered.

Robb nodded his head, to show that he understood the Maester. Then he looked to Arya. "There is more."

"What could be worse then what you already told me." Arya said bitterly. "That Father is dead?"

"He isn't dead, Arya." Robb snapped, he immediately regretted it when he saw Arya glare back at him. He let out a small sigh, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound short, and I don't want to even think about Father dying. He's in the Black Cells, that's bad enough for now. But the news I have to tell you yet, it won't be easy to take."

"Just tell me." She demanded.

"The entire household father took with him, they are dead, justified by the fact that they were loyal to a traitor, that they themselves were traitors. They've taken Sansa hostage," Robb held up the parchment he had been reading. "She wrote this, declaring that what the Lannisters said is true and that she remains loyal to the Crown. The King has also summoned me to King's Landing, so I can bend my knee to him, to prove that I am not a traitor as well."

It took a moment for Arya to process everything her brother had just said. Her thoughts seemed jumbled and she could only pick out a few pieces of information to focus on at a time. "They killed everyone?" Were the first words out of her mouth. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Even Septa Mordane? The servants, the people who couldn't fight back?"

"We always knew the Lannisters were ruthless," Theon said quietly, wishing there was something he could do to help.

"And Sansa?" Arya's expression had turned from horror at the thought of all those people she had known being slaughtered, to one of confusion. "Why would Sansa write these things? She must know that they are lies."

"She does, my lady." Luwin reassured her. "But she is under the Queen's thumb now. She has to think about her survival, possibly even your father's. Who knows what promises were given to her if she complied to this." He motioned to her sister's letter.

Theon looked from Arya to Robb, "you know you can't go to King's Landing. You cannot bow down to that boy who sits upon the throne."

Luwin nodded his head in agreement. "Theon is right, if you go, they will never let you leave."

"Don't worry," Robb said, his voice was steady, but dangerously low, Arya could tell her brother was angry. It seemed a suitable reaction to the predicament they found themselves in. "I have no intention of doing what they ask."

"Robb, act carefully, think about the consequences before you do anything." Lewin advised.

"Don't worry, I know what I have to do." Robb said. "Maester Luwin, please prepare the ravens. You say Renly and Stannis are likely preparing armies for a fight, I believe it's time I called the Stark banner men as well. I don't particularly care what those two do or if they plan on fighting Joffery for the throne, all I want is my father back. Also, send word to my Mother in the Vale, perhaps Tyrion being a hostage is more valuable now then it was before. We could use him as leverage. The Lannisters want to risk starting a war, perhaps we should show them that we are willing to play along."

"Of course, my Lord." Luwin said, a small, but grim smile coming to his lips. It seemed Robb did indeed know what he was doing. Then turned to leave to do as he was bid.

Once Luwin was out of the room he turned to Arya. "I need you to take care Bran and Rickon, watch for their safety." He held up his hand to keep her from talking. He knew she would want a more hands on role in the events to come, but he knew he had to keep her safe, it was what mother and father would want. He already had one sister in the jaws of a lion, he didn't need to risk another "I need this from you."

She wrinkled her nose, but nodded her head to show that she would comply. "But what about Sansa," Arya insisted, "she's alone and probably terrified. Couldn't we trade the Imp for her?"

Theon let a small bark of a bitter laugh escape his mouth. "It might seem a fair trade for the Crown, a girl for a half man."

Robb just shook his head. "Right now Sansa is too valuable for them, they can dangle her over our heads. To those not of the North, those people who do not know her, she is Joffery's loyal sevent, his beloved betrothed."

"She's still to marry him?" Arya asked incredulously.

"Are you going to allow that?" Bran finally spoke up, he had been so quiet throughout the conversation Arya had practically forgot that both him and Rickon were still in the room. She looked over to her little brothers and saw both fear and sadness in their eyes. Bran probably understood more of what was going on then Rickon, but her youngest brother knew that Sansa and their Father were in danger.

Robb sighed in defeat, knowing that what he answered would not sit well with his younger siblings. "I am doing what I can. We will get Sansa back and Father too, I promise you. But it's going take awhile, we need time to gather our men, to make plans."

"It's not fast enough!" Arya exclaimed. "By the time we've gathered the banner men she might already be married to that monster! Father, he's already hurt! What if something worse happens to him in those cells. What if they kill him? We should march now."

"They would not dare kill him." Robb said quietly. "The entire North would rise up, and they do not want that. And you would have me march on King's Landing just with what remains of the Stark's men at arms. We need the fighting men of those Lord's who have pledged allegiance to our Father. We have to be smart Arya, we cannot let our emotions rule us."

For a moment, she said nothing, her cloudy grey eyes just glaring at Robb. Then remaining silent, she simply stormed out of hall, Rickon hot on her heels followed by Shaggydog and Nymeria. Brann just looked after her, before he placed his accusing eyes upon Robb. Robb closed his eyes. They were young, they didn't understand that he had to take his time. Hopefully he was acting in the correct manner. It was his father, who had taught him caution and he would make Ned proud. He could tell Bran wanted to say something to him, but he shook his head gently to show that he wouldn't listen. Instead he turned to Theon. "Follow her, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." For Robb knew his littlest sister well.

And so did Theon. He nodded his head to show that he understood. He hoped that he would be able to talk sense into the youngest Stark girl. He quickly left the hall and started to climb the stairs to her room. He doubted she would be there, but it was a good first place to look. There was always the hope that she had fled to her room in order to calm down. After reaching her door and knocking for a few moments, he realized that she wasn't there. He checked he kitchens and the armory, again to no avail. He sighed realizing that she had done exactly what he would have done if their situations were reversed. He soon found himself walking rapidly towards the stables.

She was there, just as he suspected, talking to her horse and trying to quietly saddle the creature. She hadn't noticed him enter the stall, so he leaned against a post, his arms crossed. "Where did you think you're going?" he asked with just a tad bit of amusement in his eyes. She obviously hadn't thought through this plan at all.

Her body stilled when he spoke and without looking at him she answered. "South, and neither you, nor my stupid brother, can stop me."

"No?" He looked at her curiously and he pushed himself away from the post and took a few steps towards her, perfectly aware he was invading her personal space. All trace of amusement had left his demeanor. He hoped he seemed threatening enough. He meant for his tone to hold a subtle danger to it, as if she should know better then to cross him.

"No." She said firmly, turning her body so she wouldn't be forced to look at him, but she didn't back away from him. He should have known she wouldn't be intimidated by him. "He's being stupid. And if anyone is going to go help my family it will be me." And with that turned back to her work with the horse.

She raised a hand to fasten a strap on the saddle, he brought his hand up to stop her. She didn't like that and moved to shove him away but he held on to her wrist firmly. She was a tough little wolf, but he was stronger and he turned her so that she was facing him, and then pulled her flush against his body so he could hold her in a tight embrace that he knew she couldn't break. She wasn't happy with the situation and she struggled against him. Had this been any other situation, Theon might have been excited by being like this with her, but right now his sole purpose was to keep her safe.

"You can't do this, Arya." He said gently.

His soft tone seemed to deflate her temper a little bit and she stopped struggling. She leaned heavily against him, hating that his kindness was enough to make her start to tear up over the whole situation. "I have to. Sansa is all alone, my father…" she trailed off, not daring to think of what he's enduring.

"What were you going to do Little Wolf?" again his voice was gentle and there was a hint of a smile upon his lips, he admired her feisty spirit, but was amused by her lack of planning. "Ride the King"s Road by yourself? You'd get yourself raped and killed within a week." He muttered, not liking the thought of that outcome.

"I can handle myself." She said stubbornly.

He knew that she thought she could, but one woman against a whole band of bandits was laughable. But he couldn't bring himself to say that. "And food, water, coin?"

She paused a moment giving each in turn some thought. "Okay." She said finally. "Perhaps I didn't think this through as well as I should have." Her fists grasped his cotton shirt and she fisted it tightly, almost as if she was using him as an anchor. For the moment, she felt at peace in his arms. She couldn't explain it but she could not bring herself to step away from him, even though she wanted so badly to be doing something productive to help her Father and Sansa. "I have to do something. I can't just sit idly while Robb twiddles his thumbs and something awful happens."

He felt, that for now, she wouldn't bolt. He removed one arm from her waist but kept the other one firmly around her. With his free hand he gently tilted her chin so that she looked up at him. Her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Your brother is doing what he thinks is right. And don't forget that everything he knows, he learned from your father. If the situation should change for the worse he will act. That is why he is calling the banner men."

"I just have a bad feeling about all of this." She whispered.

"Nothing about this situation is easy. These next few weeks are going to be almost unbearable while we wait for the men to arrive. But try to be patient my lady" He said slyly, hoping his use of her title to break the tension.

"I'm not a lady." She said with a small, weak smile of her own.

"My lady," He said, but this time his tone was serious, serious enough to know that what he was about to say was going to be very grave, and she couldn't bring herself to chastise him for the use of word "Promise me you won't try to run away again." He saw that she was about to protest. "At least come to me before you do. If things turn bad, I promise I'll go with you. Just promise me you won't go alone."

His intensity silenced her. All she could do was look up at him and nod her head once to show him that she would promise to go to him if she felt the need to go to King's Landing. They stood like that, her in his arms, and pressed tightly against him. They just looked at each other intently for what felt like forever. Again he found himself in a situation where he felt the urge to kiss her. He knew he could not, but he could not bear to let her go either, so he just held her. Who knows how long they would have stayed if Osha hadn't interrupted them.

Osha had cleared her throat loudly to let the too highborns know that she was there. She had an amused smirk playing upon her lips, as they jumped apart when they realized they were no longer alone. "Lord Bran is looking for you m'lady." She said a bit gruffly.

Arya's brow furrowed and she shot the woman glare. She felt that Osha had disturbed a very intimate moment she had been having with Theon, and Arya was a little embarrassed by that. Without so much as a glance toward Theon, she stalked out of the stables in search of her little brother.

Osha couldn't help but laugh at this then looked at Theon with a bit of a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Have ya claimed her yet m'lord?"

For a moment Thoen blanched at the very idea of doing what the wilding seemed to be implying. He had thought of taking her yes, he was a young man in love, of course he had, it was only natural. But he would never do that to her, disgrace her like that, especially when he wasn't sure what it was that she wanted. Hells, he doubted she even knew what she wanted when it came to him.

"Shut up." He muttered to Osha then he, too, stalked out of the stables, with her laugh ringing in his ears.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Thank you again, dear readers. This chapter got a little longer then I expected it to. I hope you enjoy it!

To my French Speaking Reviewer: I'm glad you feel that way about highs and lows… because, I just made up an outline for everything I want to do in this story, and I fear it might be pretty long. I hope that's okay!

To Jean d'arc: I blame Alfie Allen for my Theon. He actually made me like the character. I feel like Theon has so much potential, but he doesn't get a chance to show it, because he's too worried about what other people think.

To mina: Thank you so much! To be honest, I wasn't sure many people would be okay with an Arya/Theon pairing. It's good to know I've managed to hook a few people. :)

**Chapter 11**

Winterfell was getting crowded again. The Lord's of the North who had sworn fealty to House Stark had started arriving, ready to lend what ever strength they could to help Robb get Eddard and Sansa back. Seeing all the men who had come, gave some sense of relief to Arya. She felt a little more at ease knowing so many people were still loyal to the Starks. Perhaps the boy King would think twice keeping her father captive, if he saw how serious the North was about protecting their own.

A lot of men had been gathered in Winterfell's hall, Arya was seated at an out of the way table with Bran and Rickon. Robb was at a table with several important Northern Lords. She had never met most them, but she could recognize certain ones merely by their reputation. She could easily pick out Lord Jon Umber, who was both tall and well muscled and had a rather forceful personality. It seemed Robb was having a hard time proving himself to the man at the moment. She recognized Lord Rickard Karstark and his sons from the sunburst sigil they wore upon their armor. And Lord Bolton, while he seemed a quiet and plain man, was the easiest to pick out. His eyes were pale and strange, and when one looked upon them, one could tell there was a subtle, yet dangerous intelligence about him. Arya had heard rumors of his cruelty, but was unsure if they were true. But with a flayed man as the Bolton sigil, she wouldn't have been surprised if at least some of the tales held some truth.

Arya had been looking at Roose Bolton, contemplating what she knew of him, when he must felt her eyes upon him and turned his gaze to her. She had to suppress a cold shudder that had run through her body when her eyes held his strange gaze, before quickly turning her attention to Theon. He had chosen that moment to leave her brother's side and come to sit with her and her youngest brothers.

Theon had caught the brief moment of eye contact between the two and shook his head. "I am not ashamed to admit that that man unsettles me."

"Me too," Arya admitted.

"Well, if he unnerves the two of you," Bran said, "it makes me feel better knowing that he's on our side."

"Could you imagine having to meet him on the battle field. They eyes alone would be enough to send a foe running." Theon joked.

"So what were they discussing over there?" Arya said, quickly changing the subject, and nodding over to where Robb sat. She was interested to know her brother's plans.

"I think they were discussing your brother's abilities to lead." Theon sighed. "I believe the Greatjon doesn't think he has it in him. It got boring after awhile, which is why I'm now here sitting with you."

It was just then that a rather large commotion from the very table they had been discussing had caught their attention. Grey Wind had jumped upon the table, lunged at Lord Umber who had stood up while pulling out his sword, and then pointed it at Robb. He didn't get much of a chance to do anything else, as the wolf bit at Umber's hand. The sword clattered to the stone floor, and the Greatjon screamed out in pain and surprise. He held up his hand, showing that the wolf had taken two of his fingers. For a moment everyone was silent. Arya frowned slightly as she looked at the bloodied hand of one of the men who had come to fight for her family. Theon's face was a mask of shock. Bran looked pale, he was still just getting used to the blood and violence that sometimes happened in his world. Rickon simply hid his hands behind his eyes, scared of what might happen next.

But Robb, Robb surprised them all. He had stood up and held his ground against Lord Umber, showing no fear at the man's temper. Robb had proudly chastised the the man for threatening him, Lord Stark, his liege lord. Everyone's attention turned to Umber to see how he would take the young Lord Stark's words. To everyone's great surprise, Lord Umber laughed and made some flippant comment. Apparently, Robb had now proved himself to the Lord Jon Umber and everyone went back to their own conversations.

Arya blinked in surprised. "You might be happy to have Lord Bolton on our side, Bran, but I'm happy the Umbers are with us too." Bran nodded his head in agreement.

"It's true the Northerners do breed dangerous men." Theon commented. "And it's a good thing Robb is starting to impress them." He added gravely.

"Why?" Arya asked, now looking at Theon, growing concerned at his tone.

"He wants to march sooner then he would have liked. Within a few days actually." He answered quietly.

"But why? Many of the smaller houses haven't arrived yet." Bran asked.

"Your mother has lost the Imp." Theon stated.

"How could she have lost Tyrion Lannister? Did he escape?" Arya asked, anger starting to color her tone.

"Your brother got a raven from Lady Catelyn this morning. Since your aunt was so set on putting him on trial, he demanded trial by combat, and he won." Theon shrugged.

"How could he do that?" Bran asked, genuinely curious about how he had been able to fight.

"He bought himself a champion, supposedly a sell sword fought for him, was able to beat Lady Lysa's champion, and then Tryion was allowed to walk free." Theon looked at Arya wondering how she would take the news. He was not surprised when he saw her bow furrow in anger and a frown tugged down at the corners of her lips.

"That means we have no more leverage in which to bargain with, nothing to trade for for Father and Sansa." Arya said trying to keep her voice even, and calm.

"No, that's not true." Bran spoke up.

"He's right." Theon put in. "Your brother has a number of men at his disposal now. If King Joffery knows what's good for the realm, he won't want to risk a Northern rebellion. Hopefully his advisors will make him understand that. Your brother's position is only slightly weakened without Tyrion Lannister. If Robb starts marching South, the South might get nervous."

"Where does he plan on going?" Arya asked sullenly.

"Your mother is leaving the Eyrie and he wants to meet your her at Moat Cailin. It's a good place to stage any sort of campaign against the South. From there he'll want to try and get Walder Frey's help at the Twins and since your mother has ties to the Riverlands, she might be able help forge an alliance." Theon explained.

"I don't suppose Robb would let me go with?" While there was a small amount of hope that he would, but she knew that it was unlikely.

"I highly doubt that." Theon chuckled.

—

Theon found his way down to the great hall. It was late at night, but there was still several people bustling about. Apparently on the eve of a march, sleep was at a premium. The air was full of a nervous energy, which was understandable. Who knew what the next few weeks would bring? The stakes were too high and Theon supposed with that much stress and worry, sleep didn't come easily. At least that's how he had felt and that's why he found himself so restless. It appeared that the one person he wanted to talk to was just as restless as he was.

Robb sat at a table that was near the hall's large hearth. He gave off the impression that he was studying the maps before him, but Theon saw that blank look in his eyes, he wasn't truly looking at them. He wondered what was going on in his friend's mind at that moment. The others that were in the hall seemed to be leaving him alone with his thoughts. There were small groups of people scattered around, some drinking, most talking, some were even laughing. Trying to get a few more moments of peace before they had to leave. But Robb sat alone.

Theon made his way over to Robb slowly. He didn't bother to say anything when he reached the table, he just sat down across from his friend. Robb looked up at the movement, and Theon thought he detected a sliver in relief when he saw that it was just him. "Couldn't sleep?" Theon asked.

"No, I have too much on my mind to sleep." Robb raised a hand to rub his tired eyes and sighed. They said nothing for a moment, both of their minds on the future. When Robb spoke again, his voice was quiet. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Maybe Lord Umber was right, I'm too young to lead all of this."

Theon chuckled lightly. "With the way you and Grey Wind handled him? No, I don't think you're too young." Theon became serious. "And you are doing the right thing. You know as well as I do, that your father would never commit treason. This is just the latest attack the Lannisters have thrown at the Starks. You have to free your father, you have to do what is best for your house."

"Aye," Robb's tone was grave, but he agreed with Theon.

"You're scared." It wasn't a question.

"Aye." Robb was not afraid to admit that.

"That's a good thing, it will keep you smart," said Theon.

"I get the feeling they might smell the fear on me." Robb said nodding his head at some of the men who were drinking in a corner.

"And they know that you're still willing to do what has to be done. You kept your calm well enough when Umber went after you." Theon said. "These men probably wouldn't follow you if they thought you fearless. Fearless men can be foolish, and foolishness can get a lot of men killed. Your father taught me that, so I know he taught you that too. Stop doubting yourself. Luwin would scold you if he heard you talking like this."

Robb let out a small laugh. "That's why I'm talking to you about it. I don't want to disappoint anyone."

Theon raised an eyebrow at this. "It's okay if you disappoint me?"

"Nope, I don't care so much what you think about me." Robb teased, and was answered with a mock glare from his friend. "You know that's not it. I guess I just trust you to give me a swift kick to the arse if I need it. You don't have any of the expectations the others have of me."

"Oh, I have those expectations Robb." Theon said. "I just know that you're not going to let me down. I'm not worried about that."

"At least that's someone," Robb lamented.

Theon didn't say it, but he doubted he was the only one who had that much faith in Robb. Instead he let the conversation fade into a lull. There was a reason he couldn't sleep, and that he had been hoping to find Robb here. The problem was, that now that he found him, he wasn't sure how to broach the topic. He shifted uncomfortably on the bench in which he sat.

Robb sensing that Theon wanted to discuss something other than Robb's self-doubt. What ever it was, he also figured out that Theon didn't know how to start, so he gave him some help. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

Theon opened his mouth, then closed it thinking better of the words he wanted to utter. There was a few more seconds of silence before he opened his mouth again. "How much do you trust me?"

Bewildered Robb answered quickly, he didn't need to think about his answer. "With my life."

Robb's quick answer brought a small smile to Theon's lips, it was good to know where he stood with his friend, but he also knew he was about to ask Robb something that might not be so easy for him to agree to. "Do you trust me enough to stay in Winterfell when you march south?" He couldn't bring himself to look at his friend when he asked.

For a moment Robb didn't say anything. He let Theon's words just sink into his mind. Almost everyone would think it foolish for Robb not to bring Theon with him. In reality, Theon was still a hostage of the Starks, despite the friendship he had forged with both himself and his little sister. To any outsider it would seem that if Robb left Theon at Winterfell, without himself or Eddard to look after him, it would give Theon a perfect opportunity to try and make an escape. It might make Robb look week to his bannermen if he let Theon stay behind, but Robb had a feeling he knew why Theon was asking what he did. "You want to stay with her don't you?"

Theon finally looked up at Robb, knowing he would have figured that much out on his own. "You know she'll run. If for some reason the gods decided that they want to take you or your father, Arya will run. She'll get some stupid idea that she has to go and save Sansa or get some sort of revenge on the Lannisters, and she do it by herself. She thinks she can take on the world."

"And you think you can stop her?" Robb sounded amused by this.

"Or go with her." Theon shrugged. "She listens to me sometimes. But if she really gets an idea into her head, I won't be able to stop her. But I can go with her, protect her as well as I can." He quickly went on. "And it's not just about her. I can help look after your brothers. With Ser Rodrik gone, I can at least take command of the men-at-arms that you leave at Winterfell. I can help protect your House here."

While Robb trusted his friend, he still had the problem of how it might look to the other Lords. "And how would I explain your staying on at Winterfell, when most expect you to go to arms with the rest of us?"

"I don't know," Theon mourned. "Tell them you'll keep a guard on me. Tell them the truth. Tell them you trust me as a brother. We grew up together Robb. I've lived here longer then I've lived at Pyke. It wouldn't be too far fetched."

"Some of these Lords don't trust the Greyjoys." Robb said grimly.

Theon couldn't help but wince at that. "I'm not asking them or you to trust my family. I'm asking you to trust _me._ And they trust _you._"

"We've already established that I trust you." Robb stated, he let out a small resigned sigh. "Fine. I'll deal with the bannermen. If I'm being honest, I'd feel safer with you here anyway."

Theon couldn't help but smile sheepishly, he had actually gotten what he wanted. Then he frowned a little when he realized what that would mean. "Does this make me a coward. Asking to stay behind when there might be a war on the horizon."

"No, I think it makes you brave because it means you have to try and rein in Arya." Robb answered with a short laugh, then more seriously, "that and it just tells me how in love with her you really are."

—

It had been days since Robb left with the host of Northern Men he had gathered. It took only seven days for Arya to get over the fact that her brother hadn't even considered the notion that she would be allowed to go with him. She had ranted and raved at him, but Robb had stood firm in his decision that she would stay with her two youngest brothers in Winterfell. But once she was over that fact, she became downright pleasant to be around. She was secretly pleased that Robb had elected to keep Theon at Winterfell too. At least they could commiserate together at being left behind. It never occurred to her to think that he might have asked to stay back.

The days since Robb left had been filled with Bran, holding court over the small folk. Arya might have been offended that she hadn't been asked to do that, if she hadn't thought that particular job was a complete bore. With Maester Luwin's help, Bran seemed more then adequate at job. Often times while Bran was busy with that, she would slip out of the main hall to find Theon, who kept busy with the men at arms who Robb had left for their protection. That's where she found him on this particular day. Sparing with practice swords with one of the guards.

Arya perched herself upon a the railing of a fence as she watched him dance around the practice yard. It was not as graceful as her water dance, but he was adequate in what he was doing. She did note that he was better with the bow. After a few minutes he must have noticed that he was being watched by her and nodded to the guard to let him know that they were done for the day. He handed the man the sword he had been using and then started towards Arya as she hopped off the fence.

"You know, I think I could probably beat you in a spar now." She said off-handedly to him, but her smirk told him that she was goading him.

He let out a small chuckle. "You think so?" He had no doubt that she could. She spent most of her mornings with that 'dancing' instructor and he watched her most of the time. She was improving. She wasn't strong, but she was quick and agile. While she might not be able to make a killing blow upon an enemy, he had no doubt that she could annoy an enemy by slicing him him up. She was better with her little Needle then he was with a sword. He was man enough to admit that, at least to himself. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of letting her know that he knew it.

"Absolutely." Arya said with certainty, her smirk grew a bit. "We could see if I'm right." She put her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Theon shook his head, smiling at her enthusiasm. "Not right now Little Wolf. I'm exhausted and starving."

She extended her index finger and jabbed him in the chest with a smile. "Or you are just scared that you'll be beat by a girl."

"Ah yes, you figured me out." He laughed as he moved his hand to his heart as if it was wounded. "It would cause me so much shame." Then he let his hand drop to his side and started to head towards the kitchens. "Come on, let's get something to eat."

"But I'm not hungry," she pouted.

"Then keep me company, my lady." He gave her what he considered his most charming smile.

To answer him, Arya simply rolled her eyes, but moved to follow him. The walked a bit before she spoke again. "Do you think Robb has reached Moat Cailin by now?"

Theon raised his eyes at the question. It was the first time she had brought up Robb in days. He had supposed it was because she was worried about the consequences of what her brother was about to do. With Tyrion worming his way out of her mother's care, the Lannisters must have felt more sure of themselves. Not long after Robb had left, Luwin had received word that Tywin and Jaime Lannister were both raising arms to meet Robb in the Riverlands. He could tell she was a little scared, even if she did try to hide it.

"Probably." He said. "Your mother is probably there by now too. Who knows they might even be on their way to the Twins right now. We'll probably be getting a raven soon. Robb said he'd try to keep us updated. But don't get worried if it takes a little while, he might get busy or distracted." He added quickly.

Arya gave him a withering glare. "I know how war works Theon. I'm not going to expect weekly updates from him."

"Okay, okay." Said Theon surrendering. "I didn't mean to offend you." They had reached the kitchens and he found himself an apple, cheese, and was able to talk a serving boy in to fetch him a mug of ale. He looked to Arya once his hands were full. "Is your brother still hearing his people's grievances?"

Arya nodded her head, despite saying she wasn't hungry she managed to snag herself an apple as well. She had just taken a bit so she wasn't able to talk, but she nodded to the servants table in an out of the way spot in the kitchen. Theon nodded his head and made his way over to take a seat.

Arya sat next to him as she swallowed the piece of the apple. "Do you think Walder Frey is going to let us use that bridge? People don't say the kindest things about the Frey's…" she trailed off.

Theon snorted. "People don't say the kindest thing about the Greyjoys either."

Giving him a sideways glance, she murmured, "not all members of a house should be judged by their entire family."

"Then maybe we shouldn't think the worst of the Frey's. Even if Walder himself doesn't have the most appealing reputation. The negotiations will probably be difficult for Robb. But if he brings your mother along like planned, Frey might be more amendable, since his liege lord is Hoster Tully." Theon shugged. "Robb will find a way. Don't doubt that."

"I know." Arya said quietly.

Theon shook his head with a smile, "stop worrying."

For awhile they stayed there, talking quietly. Theon steering the topic away from the Stark problems, trying to keep the conversation lighter. He didn't need Arya restless and worrisome, she might get ideas of doing something to 'help' and he might not be able to talk her out of it. They had been so lost in their conversation that they didn't notice the Maester had slipped into the kitchens looking for them. Luwin watched the two of them quietly for a moment, and as he did so a quiet sadness seemed to fill him. He carried with him a rolled piece of parchment in his hands. Robb had sent them a letter telling them of how his plans were progressing.

Luwin let out a small sigh before clearing his throat to get the couple's attention. When the two brought their attention fully to him he offered them a small smile. "I have news." He lifted the parchment to show them what he meant, and they had rightly figured it was from Robb. "Bran has dismissed the rest of the people who had wanted an audience with the Starks. Come to the great hall, I'll fill you all in on what your brother has to say."

His tone had Arya nervous, if Robb had good news, wouldn't the Maester be a little more upbeat. "Is everything okay? Is it mother?" She asked standing up quickly. Theon followed suit, also wondering what reason Luwin would have to be upset.

Luwin closed his eyes, and shook his head. He hadn't meant to worry them like that, when he opened his eyes he seemed to have collected himself and managed a more sincere smile. "No, it's nothing like that. Your mother met Robb at Moat Cailin as planned, both her and Rodrik were well."

Arya seemed visibly relieved. "Okay, good. Then let's go. I want to hear what Robb has been up to." With that she started off towards the main hall.

Theon held back for a moment and he looked to Luwin. He still knew that the man was hiding something. "What is it?" He asked quietly, as he came to stand next to Luwin.

"Hmm?" The Maester seemed to be lost in thought as he had watched Arya walk out of the room. "Oh, it's…it's nothing. Just that, you children are growing up much faster then you should have to." He patted Theon on the shoulder, almost as if to reassure the boy. "Come, I have much to tell you all." Theon followed him as Luwin started to leave.

When all of them were gathered around where Bran had been sitting, the Maester began. "Your brother has managed to gain Walder Frey's allegiance, and with it a promise to use the bridge and a large force of mounted Frey knights and foot soldiers. Your mother, apparently played a pivotal roll in the negotiations."

Theon felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart. Robb had gained much by a Frey alliance. He looked to Bran who also wore a relieved smile. Then his attention wandered to Arya, who looked happy too. Only Maester Luwin still seemed somber.

Arya spoke up quickly. "That's a good thing. Right?"

"Yes." Luwin admitted. "But it came at a cost," was his simple answer.

After hearing that, Theon felt suspicion creeping into his thoughts. "What did Robb have to promise?"

"He is to marry one of Frey's daughters. Walder has graciously agreed to let him choose which of them he would like." Luwin seemed hesitant to go on, but Theon, Bran, and Arya knew there was more to it.

Theon felt a lump start to form in his throat. He had a terrible idea of where this was going. "And what else?" He managed to get out.

For a moment the Maester said nothing. He knew that Theon was not stupid, of course he would have figured out what Luwin was going to say next. However before he went on, he handed Theon a small slip of parchment. "Robb wanted to make sure that you got this." He watched as Theon just nodded his head, he jaw was set, and he had a mixture of hurt and anger swimming in his eyes. But he took the small note Robb had sent him.

Arya watched the short exchanged. She wasn't stupid either, she could deduce what was going on too. The suspicion of what was happening was starting to make her angry. She was of a certain age after all, and Walder had whole bunch of sons who needed wives. It all added up. But she wanted to hear it from Luwin. "What?" Her voice sounded dangerous. "Please tell me he didn't _sell _ me, too."

Luwin sighed, and he looked to Theon for help, but from the look on the boy's face, he knew that he was on his own. Instead of saying a word, Theon simply stood up and with the parchment firmly gripped in his hand he purposefully walked out of the hall. He clearly didn't want to be around anyone, and if truth be told Luwin didn't blame him. He knew how the boy felt about Arya.

"Well?" Arya's enraged tone pulled him out of his reverie. She gave one annoyed glance to Theon as he left the room. It didn't help her mood to feel that she had been abandoned by him. Then brought her stormy grey eyes back to Luwin.

"Once your father is returned to us, and this whole mess is behind us. You are to marry Lord Walder's youngest son Elmar."

"I refuse." She said simply.

"Arya, you can't." Said Bran, clearly feeling a mix of fear and anger for his sister.

"Bran is right, child." Luwin said. "Your brother needs that bridge if he's meet the Lannister men. They have stepped up their offensive. Jaime Lannister has taken siege of Riverrun and Tywin seems to be focused on the rest of the Riverlands. He needs this alliance with the Frey's."

"But why does it have to be at my expense!" Arya practically yelled.

"Wouldn't you say it was a small price to pay for your father's safe return?" Luwin tried to persuade her to calm down. "Or Sansa's?"

"We don't even know if this will help us get them back!" she spat.

"But if it could, wouldn't you want to do anything you could to help? You ranted and raved at Robb that you wanted to help, and now you have your chance." Bran pointed out.

"I didn't want to have to give up my whole life for the cause." She said lowly and then stomped out of the hall following the direction that Theon had gone in. She was angry with him for leaving her the way that he had, just when he knew she would need him the most. She knew he had figured it out, what Robb had given the Frey's at the exact same time she did. He knew she wouldn't be happy. Yet he left her and she was angry with him for it. But at the same time he was the only one she wanted to be with right now.

Arya stormed up to where his room was. She stopped to stand in the open doorway. She looked in to see him sitting on his bed, his elbows at his knees, his head was bent down so she couldn't see his face. Her heart seemed to skip a beat as she took in his dejected posture. Being with him reminded her just what she was losing now that Robb had made that promise to Lord Frey. She didn't know what would become of her friendship with Theon. Near her feet she noticed the small piece of parchment that must have been Robb's letter to Theon. It was crumpled and she bent down to pick it up.

The movement must have caught Theon attention because he looked up at her, just as she straightened up. She looked at him carefully, any anger she had felt when she had first come into the room was gone. He seemed just as shaken as she was. "This is really happening isn't it?" She asked him quietly as she stepped further into the room, so that she was standing in front of where he sat.

He didn't trust himself to say anything. He never really thought she could ever be his, but now all of his hope was gone. All he could do was nod his head yes.

She couldn't stand that sad, haunted look that was playing in his eyes so she brought her attention down to what she held in her hands. She could still feel his eyes on her as she straightened the parchment out so that she could see what Robb had said to Theon. Why were her hands shaking so bad? It took her a few seconds to make sense of the words that were scrolled on the small sheet. It was only one simple line.

_Theon, I am so sorry.-Robb_

Those words seemed to make her heart hurt even more then it had been hurting a few seconds ago. "Why is he saying sorry to you?" She looked up at him, there was a sliver of anger in her that resented the fact that her brother deemed to more important to apologize to him, rather than sending her one. But she was also confused as to why he would feel the need to apologize to him at all.

"You seriously don't know?" He had finally found his voice, and there was tone of incredulousness. "Gods we've been dancing around each other for weeks. He knew how I felt. I think everyone knew how I felt. You were giving me signs, I thought you felt the same. He knew that," it almost seemed like he was having trouble getting the next part out, "that I lo-"

He was interrupted when she had leaned forward, she let the parchment drift to the floor as she lifted her hands and placed them gently on his cheeks and then kissed him gently upon his lips. The move had even surprised herself, but she knew what he was about to say to her, and she wasn't sure if she could bear it.

To say that having her kiss him was a shock would have been an understatement. For a brief second he wasn't sure of what he should do. _She was kissing him._ And those soft, hesitant lips upon his made him forget even for just a moment that she did not belong to him, that she never would. So he did the only thing he could, he deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, so she stood between his legs as he sat. Her hands moved from his cheeks and arms slid around his neck. She lost her footing and tumbled down so that she was sitting on one of his legs. But through it all, their lips didn't break contact.

When they did feel the need to break for air, Theon kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead against hers. The kiss, while amazing, better even then his dreams of her had been, it had made his heart ache. "Why did you do that Arya?" His voice was a ragged whisper.

Her heart felt heavy. That kiss had only confirmed what she had been trying to hide from herself for a very long time. She was in love with Theon Greyjoy, and there was nothing she could do about it. He was lost to her, just when she had figured out her feelings for him. She couldn't tell him the real reason she kissed him, for the same reasons she didn't want to hear that four letter word from him. They could do nothing about it. Instead she whispered, "I did it because I wanted to, I think I've wanted to for a long time now. I knew you wouldn't do it, and I might have never gotten another chance to do so."

He opened his eyes, pulled back slightly, and smiled at her sadly. "We could run away." There was no conviction in his statement.

Her smile matched his. "And go where, to your Iron Islands? You would steal me away and I could be your salt wife? Isn't that what they would call me because of your Old Way?" She was trying to joke, to make light of the situation.

His face became serious, as his grip on her tightened. "Don't joke like that, you would be more then that to me, you have to know that."

"Ahh, but I couldn't become your 'rock wife,' for I am not Iron Born." She still joked, she couldn't help it, she feared that if she became serious she would start to cry at her situation. She hated crying. She couldn't cry, not in front of him.

"Arya, stop." He said firmly. "They are called the Old Ways for a reason, they're not followed exactly anymore. At least not by me."

"I know," she whispered. "It doesn't matter anyway, because we wouldn't do it. If we did Robb would feel obligated to bring me back to keep the Frey's appeased. And I wouldn't have you two fighting each other. It wouldn't feel right."

"I know." He said, closing his eyes again. They sat there, her on his lap and in his arms. They seemed to be trying to soak up as much intimacy with each other as they could. They didn't think they would ever have another moment like this. He didn't want it to end, but he knew it had to. "You should go." He whispered.

"I know." She said again, but she made no move to stand up. "Promise me you won't let this change things between us."

He raised a hand to trace his finger on her chin. "You know it will."

"Can't we just pretend?" Arya asked hopefully.

Theon chuckled lightly. "We can try." But he doubted that they could, their feelings were too out in the open now.

"Then promise me that we'll try." She was almost pleading now.

"I promise I'll try." He said solemnly.

"I promise too." Arya said, her eyes seriously as she stared into his. "I cannot lose you yet, Theon."

"I'll always be here for you, Little Wolf." He tipped her chin so that he could lightly peck her lips. It wasn't as passionate as their first kiss had been, but it ignited a spark within him. How was he going to pretend things were normal between them? He pulled away quickly before she could deepen the kiss, even though he wanted her too. "For as long as you need me, I'll be here. But you need to go, before someone catches you in here. A proper lady wouldn't find herself alone in a young man's bedroom."

"I'm not a lady." She said with a half hearted smile as she slowly started to stand up. Her hands fell away from him, and he felt cold when he lost contact with her. "I'll talk to you soon?" She asked expectantly, as she started to back away from him.

"I doubt I could hide from you even if I tried." His attempt at light-heartedness also coming up short.

"You're right, you couldn't." She said, and lied to herself by thinking that maybe they wouldn't have such a hard time pretending. With that said, she quickly slipped out of his room, and fled toward her own room.

He watched her leave, his heart breaking. He knew that she would see her again, they had months, maybe years even, before she would have to marry that Frey boy. But they wouldn't talk about what had happened here this afternoon. He knew that both of them would not acknowledge their feelings for each other again out loud, or they would risk a harder heart break later on. Maybe that's why it felt like he was saying his final good bye to her.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: This has been the hardest chapter to write so far. And thanks again everyone for reading.

To jodaneze, SemiraEris, joaaana, and my French Speaking reviewer: I know that last chapter was a difficult one to read. I'm so, so sorry. Just trust me okay!

To Jaz, ConsistentlyRandom21, and mina: Thank you so much for your praise. It seriously means a lot to me.

**Chapter 12**

The weeks that followed were strange for Arya and Theon. They had made good on their promise to each other to try and not let their feelings make things complicated. For awhile it seemed to work. When they were around others they could put on a pretense that things were okay between them. They kept their banter light, but to those that knew them, like Bran and Luwin, they could tell that it was forced.

It could be seen when Arya and Theon were in the same room, they would subconsciously be drawn to each other. Like they needed to be near each other, but if one of their hands brushed against the other's, they would jump apart like they'd been burned. There would be stolen glances when one of them thought that the other wasn't looking. And if their gazes happened to cross, they averted their eyes so they wouldn't have to acknowledge the hurt and sadness that they both felt.

They rarely found themselves alone together anymore, and when they were it would be awkward.. It seemed like both of them were afraid of what might happen if they were in a situation where it was just the two of them. They missed each other terribly. Sure they saw each other, and talked about trivial things, but everything seemed so…polite, like they were just passing acquaintances. Not the friends that they had become, not two people who had so recently admitted to each other just how much they meant to each other.

Arya had started to lose sleep. She had too many thoughts floating around in her mind. Thoughts of a future with a man she didn't know left her unsettled. There was still an anger that lingered within her that was directed at her mother and Robb for making her marry someone she didn't love. She tried to push that resentment aside, arguing with her own thoughts that they did what they had to do. And it wasn't as if Robb was asking her to do something that he himself wasn't doing. She tried not to think of Theon, but he was always there in the back of her mind, reminding her of a possible future she had lost. When she did sleep, she had dreams that were unsettling and that never made sense to her.

One morning after a particularly bad night of sleep, Arya found her way down to the great hall. It was mostly empty, only one person sat at a table nearest the hearth breaking his fast. Since her day was already starting out badly, of course that one person was Theon. She was tired, and didn't know if she the strength to keep up the pretense of everything being fine with them that morning. She contemplated turning around and going back up to her room. Maybe she could have a servant bring up her breakfast, spend the day in her room , and feign sickness.

Theon must have heard her enter the room. He didn't look up from his food, but he seemed to have an idea in his mind about what she was thinking. "You can stay Arya, I'm not going to bite."

Her brow furrowed in annoyance. "I know that." She snapped. She sighed regretting her harsh tone as soon as she uttered the words. "Sorry, I didn't sleep well last night." She said as she made her way to the table. She sat down on the bench across from him.

He gave her a glance and instantly knew she was telling the truth. There were dark circles around her eyes and she looked exhausted. "It's okay. I think I understand." He answered her with sympathy, of course he would understand her state of mind, probably better than anyone.

She kept her eyes averted from his, but she could feel him watching her. She tried to ignore it, as she helped herself to some of the breakfast the servants had set out. "Where is everyone?" It seemed like a safe topic for them.

Theon noticed that she was purposely not looking at him, but he continued to watch her. He was tired of trying to avoid her, of pretending that they didn't mean anything to each other. He thought that maybe if he stared at her hard enough, she would look back at him. And he didn't know, maybe they could figure things out, or work it out enough that they could go back to the way things had been before. "Rickon wanted to go outside and play with Shaggydog and I think Maester Luwin took Bran to the crypts. Probably to teach him some lesson about your ancestors, or something."

Still feeling his eyes on her, she reluctantly looked to him. She wanted to glare at him and to yell at him to stop being so gods damned annoying, but when he mentioned that Bran had gone down to the crypts, she shuddered a little.

Of course he noticed her reaction. "What is it?" He asked, concern coloring his tone. It wasn't like her to get nervous over such a trivial thing as Winterfell's crypts. He knew for a fact that she had played down their when she was younger along with her older siblings.

"It's nothing." She muttered and then looked down at the food in front of her that she hadn't yet touched. She wasn't very hungry, she realized.

Almost hesitantly Theon reached out across the table to rest his hand on top of hers. He felt her moving to pull it away from him, but he tightened his grip on it. They were acting stupid, being scared of touching each other, being scared of their feelings for each other, especially when it was so obvious that she needed him right now. "I told you, I was always going to be here for you." He said, and with those words he managed to get her to look at him again. "Something is wrong. Tell me."

For a moment, it seemed as if she didn't want to say, in her mind, the reason for her unease was not logical. They were just dreams and she was worried that he wouldn't take her seriously. But when she looked into his eyes, she knew that he would, he was worried for her. His hand upon hers was warm and filled with reassurance. He made her feel safe. She let out a small sigh. "These past few nights, I've had dreams. Dreams of dark places, that I couldn't really identify. They felt familiar, but everything was so dark that I couldn't tell where I was."

"You think the dreams are of the crypts?" Theon asked holding on to her gaze.

"Last night, everything seemed to become clear." Arya nodded quietly. "My father was there."

"I…I can see where that might be a bit unsettling." He muttered.

"He told me not to be afraid." Arya shrugged a little. "It kind of seemed like a good bye."

He squeezed her hand lightly, again hoping to lend her a little reassurance and strength. "It was just a dream. You've had too many shocks and too much on your mind these past few weeks. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"You've had dreams too?" Bran asked anxiously. Theon and Arya turned to see Bran, being carried by Osha, with Rickon by her side. Behind them Maester Luwin stood, a deep frown on his face. They must have come into the hall unnoticed by the two of them and heard them talking.

"What do you mean, _too_?" Asked Theon, worry clearly playing in his eyes.

"The little Lords have been dreamin'." Osha said, clearly meaning Bran and Rickon.

"About Father?" Arya asked, first looked at Rickon, who said nothing, but clearly looked scared.

She looked to Bran and he simply nodded his head. Then added, "He was in the crypts."

—

Later that evening, when everyone seemed to have moved on from the shock that the three Stark children left at Winterfell had similar dreams, Theon found himself in the Maester's tower, knocking on Luwin's door. The Maester had tried to assure them all that the dreams were simply a coincidence. That he was surprised more people hadn't had similar dreams. There was too much tension and worry among everyone at Winterfell, that of course people would have nightmares. But Theon could tell, that even as the man was trying to reassure him, he didn't completely believe his own words. Theon wanted to talk to the man by himself, when he didn't have to keep Arya and the boys calm. He wanted truths.

The Maester must not have heard his first knock, because he didn't answer. Theon's knock became a bit more forceful. "Maester Luwin?" He called through the door.

"Come in, Theon." Luwin's voice called out, and even through the wooden door Theon could tell that his voice was strained.

Theon opened the door with trepidation. When he saw the Maester's ashen colored face, he knew immediately that something was wrong. "What is it?" He asked as soon as he stepped through the room's threshold.

Luwin motioned toward the chair that was across from his own at the desk. "Sit." He knew Theon would need to sit down before he heard the news. Theon did as he was told, the fear sitting cold in his stomach. For a moment neither of them said anything. Luwin didn't know how to break the news to the young man before him. He didn't know what the reaction would be. He watched as Theon became more agitated, and he knew that he had to say something.

"Lord Robb has won his first victory." Luwin started. "He managed to break the siege at Riverrun, and Jaime Lannister is now enjoying Robb's _hospitality."_ Luwin noticed that Theon's demeanor became less tense, and he could tell that the boy was about to crack a bit of a smile. He wished that was the only news he had to break to the boy. He held up a hand, to keep Theon from talking. "That's not all." And Theon's worry came back almost instantly. "But it was too late."

"What was too late," Theon finally broke in, his voice dripping in concern.

Again, Luwin remained silent as he tried to come up with a way to deliver the news that still had him in shock. The ravens had only come in an hour ago. He still couldn't believe the news that they had brought. It didn't seem real. He supposed there was no way to soften the blow. So he looked carefully at Theon. "King Joffery," He paused, it seemed a lot harder to get the words out then Luwin thought it would be. Probably because he knew that once he said the words it would become real. "King Joffery sentenced Lord Stark to death. He's dead, Theon."

For a moment, to Theon, it seemed like all the air had been sucked out of the room. There was a loud, blaring sound rushing in his ears and he didn't think he could speak. Even if he knew what to say. The man who had raised him, was dead. His life taken from him, by a spoilt boy King, who probably had no idea what taking Eddard Stark's life would actually mean. Robb had no choice now. This meant war. _Gods Robb…_what must he be going through? Lady Catelyn she must be inconsolable. And what was Theon doing? Sitting here like an idiot gapping at Maester Luwin.

"Do Bran and Rickon know? _Does Arya know?"_ He was worried about all the Starks, but Arya, she always came first. Especially because this would be the time where she would do something crazy, and he wasn't sure he could do enough to stop her.

The Maester shook his head. "You're the first person I have told." For the first time Theon had ever known, Luwin seemed lost, like he didn't know what to do and it shook Theon. The man always seemed to be a rock, a center of strength and wisdom. "I don't know how to do it. I was hoping you would go to Arya. I don't think anyone else can talk to her."

"I…" Theon started and then almost seemed to choke on his words. _The King had killed Eddard Stark. _It was like he couldn't stop thinking those words, like he couldn't wrap his mind around them. "I can try." His voice sounded hollow in his ears.

"Theon, you have to get it through her head what this means. What the King has done, it's going to mean war. Robb and the North cannot allow this to go unanswered. King Joffery went too far." Luwin said seriously. "She cannot leave Winterfell, it's too dangerous. Robb shouldn't have to worry about his little sister."

"What of his other sister, is Sansa okay?" Theon asked dully. The poor girl must have been terrified. She was alone in King's Landing with no one to watch over her. Arya was not going to like that.

"Still a ward of the Crown." Luwin's voice was just as dull. "Still denouncing her brother's actions and calling him traitor."

"And still to marry the King?" Theon asked. It seemed like the thing to ask, but he was pretty much doing things automatically. He wasn't really thinking, he had a feeling that if he gave anything too much thought he might break down completely.

Having Theon there to ask questions seemed to be helping Luwin along too, he seemed to be gathering what little strength he had left. He would need it to help him get through the next few hours. "Unfortunately she is."

"Did Robb have the Kingslayer before or after the execution?" Theon asked brittlely.

"As far as I know, the Battle of Whispering Woods happened before the execution. But I don't think word reached King's Landing that Jaime had been captured until after." Luwin sighed and closed his tired eyes. "If it had, Ned might have been saved. There could have been a treaty."

Theon felt himself gritting his teeth, everything seemed to be working against the Starks. "Robb won't trade Jaime for Sansa. Even if he wanted to, the Northern Lords would never agree to it. Jaime Lannister is a valuable prize." Theon looked down at the floor. "For all the good it's going to do Robb now. I hope he knows what he's doing."

"He does." Luwin said.

"For House Stark, I hope you're right. I fear what will happen to them, to Bran and Rickon, to Arya, if Robb dies." Theon shook his head, not wanting to think about the consequences. He needed to change the subject. His voice becoming quiet as he stood up. He needed to get out of this room, he needed a moment alone. "I'll talk to Arya. Do you want me to tell the boys too?"

"No," Luwin looked at Theon, he was concerned for him. He knew that Theon had promised Robb to look after his youngest siblings. No one knew that they would have to deal with something this devastating. He probably felt like he had a huge weight upon his shoulders. "I'll take care of it. You just worry about Lady Arya, she's going to need you."

For a moment Theon stood there still and silent. Finally one single thought came to his mind. That Arya, Bran, Rickon, they already knew Lord Stark was going to die. Or at least they did subconsciously. "Their dreams…"

"I know." Luwin said quietly.

"What does it all mean." Theon asked a hint of fear coming through in his words.

"That, I do not know." The Maester said, his own worries about the issue bothering him as well.

Theon nodded his head. He didn't know what else to say, all words seemed to be escaping him. He walked quietly to the door. On the very short walk to the threshold all the grief and anger that he was trying to suppress seemed to come welling up inside of him. In one brief moment he just wanted to let out one act of aggression, so he didn't have to feel so helpless. So he did the only thing he could do, before stepped outside of the Maester's office room, he balled his hand into a fist and punched the stone wall by the door. With a loud curse he winced, because of course the wall hurt him, while he did no damage to the wall. His knuckles were split, and there was a small amount of blood, not to mention that his hand sung with pain. But he didn't mind, it would help him to keep his mind focused.

Theon looked to the Maester with a blank face. "Sorry about that."

Luwin shook his head, "no I quite understand the sentiment. Will your hand be okay, would you like me to treat it."

Theon looked down at his hand. He opened his fist and the closed it again, it hurt to move his fingers, but he didn't think anything was broken. "I'll be fine." Then he slipped out of the room, trying to mentally prepare himself for the conversation he was about to have.

—

Theon stood at Arya's door staring blankly at it for probably about ten minutes. He had come straight from Luwin's rooms, his hand still throbbing and his mind still empty. He had no idea how he was going to tell Arya. So many thoughts rattled in his brain. Why had he agreed to be the one to tell her? It was a stupid question, even when he asked himself. He knew the exact reason why it was him. He didn't think she could bear it if anyone but him told her. He needed to be strong for her. How was he going to be strong for her? Finally with his good hand he knocked on the door.

"Yes?" He heard her call out. He took a deep breath and then slowly opened the door.

It had been later then what he had realized and she must have been getting ready to turn in for the night. Her hair was down and she wore a modest dressing gown. He frowned, he knew that she hadn't been sleeping well and he was going to ruin any chance of sleep she would get tonight. When she saw him standing there, she knew almost instantly that something was wrong. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What happened?" Was all she asked. There were so many possibilities of something going wrong somewhere that she simply didn't know who or what to ask about. All the words Theon wanted to say seemed to have been caught in his throat. He felt like a fool, standing there in her doorway, his mouth open hopelessly as no words would come. "Theon," She snapped his name, panic starting to tinge her thoughts.

Finally the words croaked out of his mouth, "your Father…"

It was all he got out, all he seemed to be able to say, but she knew exactly what he was saying. Her body went completely rigid, as if it would hurt her to move. "No," was her simple refusal to believe what he was saying.

"Arya…" He stepped further into her room, wanting to go her. He still couldn't think of what to say, so instead he reached out to her with his good hand, taking her arm intending to pull her into his arms in a comforting embrace. But before he could she pulled away from him.

"No," she said a bit more emphatically. "I don't believe you."

He pushed back the brief flash of hurt that he felt at her accusation that he would lie to her. He knew that she was hurting and denial was her only protection from it. "Arya," he said again, this time getting a firmer grip on her arm. "I wouldn't lie about something like this."

Arya looked up at him, he saw the unshed tears swimming in her eyes and he knew that she knew her father was gone, she just wasn't ready to accept it. "I know you wouldn't, but the information you got must be wrong. He can't be…" She couldn't say the word, so she just let it hang in the air unsaid. Her eyes seemed to be pleading with him to tell her that it was all a mistake.

His heart broke all over again, he wished he could give her what she wanted, but that wasn't within his power. So he did the only thing he could do, he gathered her into his arms and held on to her tightly. Once she buried her face into his chest, he felt her body shudder into sobs. It was the first time he had actually seen her cry in years. He knew there was nothing he could say to make it better, so he stayed quiet, just letting her grieve. He didn't know how long they stayed that way, it was probably minutes, but it felt like hours. He hated feeling this helpless.

Finally, her sobs seemed to still and she lifted her head to look at him. She looked exhausted and her cheeks were tear stained, but there was determination in her eyes and Theon's heart dropped. He knew what was coming before she even spoke the words. "We have to go." She said simply and pushed herself out of his embrace. For a moment she looked around the room as if trying to figure out what she was going to do next. Her gaze settled on where she kept Needle, and she started to move towards it.

Theon quickly grabbed hold of her arm again. "Go where, exactly?" He practically growled at her.

She tried to pull out of his grasp, but he held on tight. "You promised me that if things got worse, you would go with me." Her tone was accusing, like she knew he was going to protest against them going anywhere right now.

"I also told you Robb was going to act if the situation escalated." Theon countered. "What King Joffery did to your father, Robb is going to counter. Do you know what that means?"

"War." Arya said defiantly. "And what does that mean for Sansa? They have her, and Robb has no way of getting her back! If Robb does anything the Crown doesn't like, they can take it out on her."

Theon had known that this would push Arya to want to act. He would be lying if he said he didn't want to act with her. But she wasn't being smart right now. "Do you know what lies between you and King's Landing right now? Do you understand how Westeros is going to be over the next few months, or years even?"

"I don't care." She answered before she even had a chance to think about it.

"Well, you should." He snapped. "Most of the men who keep the order of their lands are going to be called to fight. The King's Road will be dangerous, bandits will take advantage, anyone who travels will be at risk. Especially if there are only one or two people are traveling. It will be worse for women. Not to mention the Lannister army stands between you and Sansa. How will you sneak through that? We still don't know where Stannis or Renly stand in all of this mess. That could be two more armies that stand in your way. Trust that Robb can can get her back."

"Like he's gotten everything else right?" Arya asked, anger coloring her words. "He made that damn deal with the Frey's and it has done nothing to help. We have no leverage to get Sansa back, does he have enough men to deal with that Lannister army you mentioned?"

"He's already dealt them a blow." Theon said, hoping that would appease her concerns about her brother being able to handle the Lannisters. "He has Jaime Lannister hostage. So, you see, there is a very good reason for Joffery to keep your sister safe."

That seemed to give her some pause, she had wanted to ask about how her brother had managed to catch the Kingslayer. But, her sister was her first worry at the moment, she still wasn't ready to give up. "But she's alone Theon! Do you know what my father always said? 'When winter comes, the lone wolf dies, but a pack survives.'" She seemed desperate now, to make him see her way. She grasped on to his shirt, pleading with him. "Winter is coming, Theon. And my sister, she is alone. What if my brother cannot get to her in time."

"And what if he loses you too, because you set off on some impossible task." He asked quietly, he lifted his hand to brush a stray strand from her eyes. He looked at her, willing her to see reason, to think about what might happen. "What would that do to your mother? Think of what she has lost, it would hurt her so much to lose another person she loved. And what if the Lannisters found you? You would give them another hostage?" He could tell that she wanted to say something, to fight his words, but he could tell from the way that she looked at him, that he was starting to make sense to her. So he went on, not letting her talk. "I know how you feel. Your father, he raised me. I want to fight them too. I want to make them pay. But I promised your brother I would keep you and Bran and Rickon safe. Help me do that. Please." It was his turn to plead.

She kept their gazes locked, she could see the fear in his eyes. She realized he was scared for her and that tugged at her heart. She knew he felt the same grief that she did, maybe not as intense as she felt it, but she knew that her Father had meant something to him. But here he was, taking care of her, ignoring his own grief for the time being. It seemed to remind her that she was very dear to him. She tried to think what she would do if he decided to try and take on King's Landing all by himself. She shuddered at the thought of what might happen to him. What could happen to him, because he would go with her if she went. Finally, "I'll stay put for now." She whispered her promise. She could keep him safe too.

He felt his body ease of a tension he didn't know it had been holding. At least some of his worry was taken away from him. He pulled her into another embrace, and he closed his eyes as he inhaled the scent of her hair. "Thank you," was his own whispered reply. He could feel Arya nod her head as if to say _you're welcome._

After a few moments of silence she turned to look at the bed that had been unused since that morning, when she had awoken from the nightmare that was now coming true. "I knew this was coming." She could feel the tears starting to well in her eyes again. This time she fought to keep them back.

"The dream." Theon said quietly.

Arya nodded her head again. "What if I dream again?" She looked up at him, her eyes teary, but also filled with a determined defiance. "I don't want to dream again."

"It could have been a coincidence," the words sounded ridiculous even to him, but he had no explanations for her and neither did Luwin. Whatever was going on with Arya, Bran and Rickon, it was beyond the comprehension of even the Maester. She didn't even bother to answer him. Instead he just went on, "maybe you won't dream." He said helplessly.

"Maybe." She said.

"Arya, your dream didn't make this happen." He said, noticing how fatigued she looked, the lack of sleep and the sobbing had taken a toll on her. She needed to rest.

"I know, but I still don't want to dream." Arya said.

"I could go get something from Maester Luwin," Theon said, "to help you sleep. You need your rest."

Arya shook her head at the offer. "I'm not sure I can sleep. I'm not sure I want to sleep."

"Then just lie down and rest then." Theon suggested.

She glanced up at him hopefully, "will you stay with me?"

He blinked down at her in surprise and found himself speechless. He was certain the request was innocent, but she would have to know how that would look to everyone else. "Arya, I don't think that would be a good idea."

Arya just shook her head. "I don't care how it will look. You and I both know that nothing can happen. But I need you Theon, I cannot be alone tonight and I don't want to be around anyone else. Who knows, maybe you can keep the dreams away. Please?"

There were about a million reasons why he shouldn't stay with her, couldn't stay with her. And not one of them mattered when she had said that she needed him. Her father had had just been killed. He was feeling that loss too. The truth was he didn't want to be alone either, this night was going to be long and he needed her just as much as she needed him. She must have seen in his eyes that he would consent to the arrangement, she reached out and grabbed his injured hand without realizing it. He hissed in pain as she came into contact with his cuts.

She immediately took her hand away from his and looked down at his. She frowned and then looked up at him. "What happened?"

"I got angry and punched a wall." He shrugged it off as if it was nothing.

"Does it hurt?" She knew that that anger had been because of the loss of her father.

"The reason I'm angry hurts more." He said simply.

She nodded her head stiffly, she understood him perfectly. "Did it help? Hitting the wall I mean."

"No." He answered her honestly. "I don't think anything will." He knew that for whatever he was feeling, she was feeling it ten times worse. He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead, knowing it was a small comfort to her. "You need to rest, you're going to need all your strength over the next few days."

He got her settled in, went about extinguishing the candles so that the only light came from the fireplace, and then moved to sit down on an uncomfortable chair that she used whenever she used her writing desk. Before he could though she reached out and grabbed his arm. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked quietly. "You need to gather your strength too, and you're not going to do that by sitting in that chair. There's plenty of room on the bed." She was matter of fact, and her tone implied that it was no use fighting about it.

"Again, that would not be wise." Theon tried.

"And I'll say again, that I don't care. Besides, you told my brother that you would keep me safe, and I don't think I'll feel safe tonight unless I'm in your arms. You'll be fully clothed, I'll be fully clothed. Nothing can happen. Please, just humor me." She said.

"I don't think this is what Robb had in mind." He muttered helplessly. But the gave in to her, he could deny her nothing. He slid into the bed next to her. She turned so that her back was to him. He moved closer to her and slid his arm around her tentatively. She was warm, and she was right, it felt safer being near each other, so he pulled her closer to him and held on to her like she was his anchor.

"Theon?" she whispered quietly.

"Hmm?" He asked.

"Good night."

"Good, night Arya."


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: Just giving you all my thanks again for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

To my French speaking reviewer: Thank you for the compliment about how I write how people feel. I try and I'm not always sure I get it across okay. It warms my heart to know some people think I do a good job with it. It was hard for me to have to write about Lord Stark's death too. I loved his character. (Alas I love all the Starks, George R.R. Martin is so mean to that poor family) But I needed it in there to move the story along.

To jean d'arc: Theon would go with her, and yeah I fear you would be right, the two of them would get themselves killed. At least he has some sense and can keep her level headed. Thank you for the review!

**Chapter 13**

Theon knew that in the days following the news of Lord Eddard Stark's death, he and Arya were playing a dangerous game with each other. The proof was in the fact that every night for the past two weeks, he would sneak into her room to sleep every night, and then sneak out every morning so no one would find them out. They weren't doing anything wrong, just sleeping. Despite the fact the temptation was there.

_Gods_, was there temptation. Sleeping next to the girl he loved, holding her in his arms, having denied himself the pleasure of a woman for months and not being able to to anything about it, was pure torture. And yet he did it every damn night…for her. She couldn't sleep without him, and he could hold her when the grief became too much for her to bear. He was the only one she would let see her in those rare moments when her feelings were so raw she couldn't hide them. It seemed his presence could calm her down enough and she would be able to drift off.

He supposed Arya kept him calm too. At least she occupied his mind enough that he couldn't focus too much on the fact that Robb was away, fighting a war to avenge his father, and Theon sat in the relative safety of Winterfell. Being with her kept him from feeling guilty that he was doing nothing to help avenge the man who had raised him. With her he didn't feel like a cowerd. At least when he was with her, she reminded him of why he had stayed.

Those were the reasons he kept coming back night after night. He knew they ran the risk of getting caught. He knew what it would look like to anyone who might catch them. No matter how convincing they were in their explanations, no matter how innocent their nights were, the rumors would make it seem dirty. And people would talk. He would be painted as the bad guy who took advantage of a grieving daughter. She would be disgraced. It could wreck the Stark's agreement with the Frey's, it could ruin everything. All over a misunderstanding, and still he did it, and she allowed him.

He knew that it had to stop. These were the thoughts that had come to his mind early in the morning. He knew he had to get up, to leave before a servant girl came in to help Arya get ready for the day. This morning he resolved that last night would be the last, so he hesitated to get up. He watched her for a few moments, she seemed peaceful this morning. He didn't think she had had any dreams during the night. He was grateful for that, maybe the dreams had stopped for now. He moved his hand and let his finger trace her cheek gently, feeling a need to touch her. Lately he had been doing that whenever he had the chance. He knew his time with her was limited.

He hadn't meant to wake her, but she stirred slightly and opened her eyes. She gave him a small, smile. It seemed genuine, which made him return the smile. It had been awhile since he had seen her smile. "You're still here," she said groggily. He was usually gone before she woke.

He nodded his head. "I should go soon though. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. You seemed peaceful." He let his hand rest on her cheek lightly.

He was about to pull away when she grasped his wrist in her hand and turned her head to kiss his palm, before letting him go. "It's okay. I slept well." She raised herself to a sitting position, keeping well herself covered. The fire had gone low and the room was chilled. "Probably because you were here." Her voice was quiet, like she didn't want to admit the weakness in needing him by her side. "So, thank you for that."

Theon sat up also, only he didn't have the luxury of staying in the bed, he shifted out from under the covers. He turned so that his back was to her and let his feet drop to the cold floor. He shivered a little he fumbled to return his boots to his feet. "You're welcome." He paused a moment, wondering how he would bring the subject up with her. "I probably should stay in my own room tonight." He didn't turn to look at her, because he knew if she had a mind to, she could probably talk him into coming back.

For her part Arya wouldn't look at him either. She knew he was right, what the stakes were. That didn't mean she had to like it. "You're probably right." She was reluctant in her words. She feared what the night would bring her if she was alone. During the day she could surround herself with people, keep herself busy training with Syrio or spending time with her brothers, trying to keep them distracted. But nights were different, nights let her mind wander. She would have time to think about her father, Robb, Sansa, and her mother, and if Theon didn't come she would have to face it alone. But she also knew she was becoming dependent on him, and that wouldn't be wise. He wasn't going to be there for her for forever.

"You'll be okay?" He asked.

She almost scoffed at him, like she was annoyed with him for thinking she couldn't handle being alone in the dark. She stopped herself at the last second, thinking maybe that would seem like such a normal thing to do. Right now things shouldn't be normal, her father was _dead._ Nothing would ever be normal again. Her voice was subdued, "I'll be fine."

The dullness to her voice got to him. Gods he was so weak, he was about to give in and say he'd come back that night. He craned his neck so he could look back at her. She looked so sad. "Because if you need me, I'll-"

"No." She said quickly. She was forcing a determination that she didn't feel. "You're right. We've gotten away with this for now, but it cannot last forever. If anyone found out, there'd be problems. And we have to learn how to get along without each other." Her words left a bitter tasted in her mouth, but she knew it was for the best.

He nodded his head, at least one of them had the good sense to cut themselves off. He stood up slowly, stretching a bit as he did. He then walked around to her side of the bed and rested his hand on her shoulder. He gave it a slight squeeze. He wanted to let her know that just because they had decided this, that things wouldn't go back to how it had been two weeks ago when they were afraid to even touch each other. She looked up at him, gave him a small, but sad smile to let him know that she had understood him.

"I'll see you at breakfast." He said. "Maybe Maester Luwin will have some news from Robb."

She nodded her head and then watched as he left her room. With a sigh she left the protection from of her warm bed and started to ready herself for another long day.

—

Bran, Rickon, Arya, and Theon all sat together at the morning meal, they had all their meals together now. They hadn't always done that before, because Arya, Theon, and Bran all had duties that they had to attend to while Rickon usually ate with some of the servants. But now their mutual grief over the loss of Eddard Stark seemed to draw them together at meal times. They seemed to find comfort in being around each other. However this morning they all seemed to be on edge. It had been awhile since they had heard any news from Robb or Catelyn.

Theon had warned them that communication with the rest of Westoros would probably be unreliable. They didn't know the exact location of where Robb would be, or if was fighting. And it wasn't unheard of for ravens to disappear or be intercepted. Especially in times of war. He had meant his explanations to be reassuring, but realized they only served to make them more worried.

They all looked anxiously up when the Maester walked into the hall, but he shook his head to let them know that no ravens had come during the night. He tried to tell them to be patient, and he supposed they listened because, when they were done eating they all left attend to their normal daily activities. At least they tried to carry on as normal. The old man was worried about the family he had lived to serve. He hoped that Robb would send them something soon, so their worries could be eased. He hoped whatever Robb would send them would be good news.

That afternoon the Maester's wish came true, news of Robb came and for once Luwin would not be the bearer of bad news. He waited until they were all seated for their supper and he told the servants to set a place for him as well. The children weren't surprised when Luwin opted to eat with them, he did that from time to time and he was always welcome.

"Did a raven come?" Bran asked, his voice didn't exactly sound hopeful. It almost seemed he was certain that one hadn't and he didn't want to set himself up for disappointment.

"It fact one did come." The Maester answered.

Arya, Theon, and Bran all stopped what eating, surprise evident on their faces. Rickon continued on with his meal, not really paying attention to what the others were talking about. He was more interested in the food then any talk of a war that was happening so far away from him.

"Well," Arya anxiously asked. "What did it say?"

"Your mother is fine. Your brother seems to be doing quite well on the battlefield." Luwin said after he had carefully finished a bite of his food. "He seems to be giving the Lannister's army a difficult time of it, at least in the first few skirmishes he has seen."

Both Arya and Theon felt a bit of a smile tug at their features. At least something was going right for the Starks. Bran however looked thoughtful as he watched the Maester. "There's more isn't there."

Luwin just nodded his head. He wasn't sure how the Stark children would feel about what else he had to say. "The Northern Lords seem quiet happy with how your brother is handling himself. It would seem that they have named him King of the North. They wish to break from the Iron Throne, this how they want to answer the execution of your father."

For a moment, everyone was quiet, even Rickon had stopped eating, sensing that something big had just been announced. Theon looked at the Maester, his mouth open in shock. "Can they do that?"

Luwin simply nodded his head again. "The realm was already on the brink of civil war. The North has just made the declaration more formal."

"I'm sure King Joffery will take the news well." Arya said sardonically.

"Yes, but the King has other problems beside just your brother to worry about at the moment." Luwin said flatly. This news wasn't quite as good the news as what he had just shared about Robb. "It seems both Renly and Stannis are laying claim to the Throne."

"Both of them? Why?" Theon asked, he thought he understood how lines of successions worked. The oldest male heir should gain the throne. That meant Joffery had the only claim.

"Well, it seems there is some," Luwin furrowed his brow at this as he looked to Bran and Rickon, some of what had been in Robb's letter seemed a bit too mature for the youngest Starks to hear. "There seems to be some question as to Joffery's parentage." Both Arya 'sand Theon's eyes widened at this. That certainly was a shock, the Queen had been bedding another man? The Maester went on. "If that is the case, then Stannis has a better claim, but it seems Renly has the bigger army and better support. It seems the Tyrell's have thrown their strength to Renly."

"Everyone has gone mad." Arya murmured. "These wars could last years." She didn't particularly care which person sat on which throne. She only cared about her family and where they stood in the grand scheme of things. Let the Baratheon's fight amongst each other. She only wanted justice for her father. "Will Robb ally with either Stannis or Renly?" If the Starks could forge an alliance with either of them, it could end the war that much sooner.

"I would imagine he will extend an offer of peace to the both of them." Luwin said, "but it remains to be seen if either will accept any of his terms. After such a show of support of his men, Robb will want to keep his claim on the North. Stannis, I doubt will be willing to concede this to him. Renly, I don't know much about the man, and if he has Tyrells whispering in his ear, I cannot say in which way he would go."

Arya frowned, "so it's more waiting, then. We have to wait and see if either of them will come to our aid?" Her voice showed her disgust and restlessness at being forced to sit back and do nothing.

"I'm afraid so." Luwin said.

Theon nudged her arm with his elbow so he could get her attention. Once he had it, he gave her a small reassuring smile. She just answered him with a scowl. "Hey," he whispered to her, so they wouldn't be overheard by Luwin or her brothers. Bran it seemed still had a few questions on how everything had worked out. "You do realize that you have a new title to hate now, I mean besides _lady._"

Arya rolled her eyes in exasperation, she really had been showing signs of going back to her normal self. "What are you talking about?" She snapped at him in a whispered hush.

"Your brother is a King. What do you think that makes you, _Princess?" _He asked watching her expectantly, and just like he suspected, her face changed from mild annoyance to dawning horror.

"I swear to the Old Gods, the New Gods, to any gods there are that if you call me that I'll castrated you." She hissed at him. She brandished the two pronged eating utensil she had been using at him as if to prove a point.

It appeared that she was not amused by her new station, not as much as he was, and he let out a small snort of amusement. It still didn't feel right for him to laugh out loud, but he grinned when he saw her scowl deepen even more. He quickly averted his eyes back to his supper plate, so he wouldn't make her even more annoyed with him.

—

The next few weeks seemed to move by in at a snail'ss pace, for Arya, but the uneventful days brought with them some semblance of normalcy. There was still a hole in her heart that the death of her father had given her, and she was sure it would never heal completely. She knew that there would always be a scar there, but it didn't feel so raw anymore.

Admittedly, it was because Theon had been there to help her through the worst of times. He had kept his promise not to sleep in her room anymore. But he still came to see her nightly, just to make sure she was okay. There had been nights where the grief threatened to overwhelm her, he he would stay with her while she cried, and held her until she was asleep. Then he would slip out of her room before he had a chance to fall asleep too. They lied to themselves, by reassuring themselves that it was okay because he didn't spend the night with her. But with the passage of time, those nights were becoming fewer and fewer. And the dreams stayed away. Perhaps she didn't need Theon as much as she thought she did. She would never tell him that though, because he might start to keep his distance again, and she wasn't ready for that yet.

News coming from the South was sparse, and wasn't always reliable. They had heard rumors of Renly Baratheon dying. Some of the rumors said he had been killed by a woman who had served on his Kings Guard. Others said that a witness had seen a man made of shadow descend upon the King in his tent and kill him. None of them made sense, especially the ones that said that one of the witnesses to the murder had been Catelyn Stark who had then managed to escape with the woman who had been accused of Renly's murder. Apparently Arya's mother had been there, to try and forge an alliance between the North and Renly's army. The only thing that Arya knew was that if Renly was dead, there was one less possible ally for her brother.

Other then that piece of news, their lives in Winterfell moved on.

Then one day it all changed again. Arya was just coming into the hall after a long morning of training when she saw Theon with Maester Luwin. She stopped short, she could tell that Theon was angry, she could tell by the way he held himself. His jaw was clenched and his body rigid. The Maester, it seemed, was trying to calm him, but Theon was having none of it. Instead Theon just stormed away from Luwin, and when he came face to face with Arya, a deeper anger seemed to fill his eyes. She was about say his name to keep him from passing her by, she wantedwante to find out what was wrong, to find out what she might have done to make him so angry. But his expression stopped her. She held her breath as he stalked passed her to find his solace in the outdoors.

Arya watched as he disappeared, then turned to Luwin and quickly made her way to where he stood. "What was that about?" She demanded.

Luwin sighed. "Balon Greyjoy has seized an opportunity. He has sent out raiding parties on the coast, he's in open rebellion against Robb. He's claiming himself King of the Iron Islands."

Arya muttered a curse under her breath. "He's rebelling, now? Even though Theon is still with us?"

"Apparently so." Luwin answered. "I imagine Theon feels like he's being pulled in two different directions."

"Of course he does," she practically snapped at him. Not because she particularly annoyed with the Maester but because she was worried about Theon. She could not even imagine what was going through his head. She wondered if he felt like he was being abandoned by his family. She wondered if he was going to leave them, and go to his father's aide. So many possibilities were running around in her head. She needed to find him. She needed to make sure he was okay. She gave the Maester one worried look and then without so much as a word she turned away from him and ran after the boy she loved. Nymeria who had followed her into the hall, followed after her.

The wolf seemed to know what, or rather who, was on her master's mind and quickly over took Arya's lead. Nymeria seemed to know exactly where she was going, and Arya followed her, trusting the wolf's instincts. She wasn't disappointed when the Nymeria led her into the godswood, realizing that Theon had probably gone to the weir tree. It was a place that guaranteed solitude and she was sure that was what he wanted.

When she came upon the clearing, his back was to her. "You shouldn't have come here alone." He must have heard her come. "You're breaking your promise to me about wandering these woods by yourself." His voice was low and angry.

"I promised I wouldn't come here without you." Arya countered. "And here you are."

"I'm sure Maester Luwin told you," Theon spit out, "I'm the enemy. It's not safe to be alone with me." He finally turned to look at her, his expression hardened so she couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking.

"He told me your father had seized an opportunity." She gave him a pointed look, "he said nothing about you being enemy."

"No?" He put on an expression of mock surprise and let out a cynical laugh. He took what he hoped to be a few menacing steps towards her. He was angry. Angry at his father, a man who seemed to be putting his own ambitions before his son, his _only surviving_ son. A man who seemed to be making him choose between the people who had raised him, people who he knew cared about him even though he wasn't related to them by blood and his family, who's only bonds that connected them was blood and a family name. And gods help him, but there was a part of him that wanted so badly to turn his back on the Starks and the reason was the girl that now stood before him.

She held her ground as he neared her. "No." She glared up at him "If we were worried about you, don't you think there would be guards on you right now?"

He stood right in front of her now, his gaze glowering down at her. "That's the problem with you Starks, you expect everyone to have the same honor your father had."

He was hurting, she knew that his words were said in anger, but that didn't mean she didn't have to like them. "What is that supposed to mean exactly?"

Again there was that sharp angry laugh from him. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her close, their bodies pressed together. "Don't you get it Little Wolf, you're here, alone with me. No one to watch over you. I could steal away with you, just like we discussed before, take what is mine, pay the Iron Price. Take you to the Iron Islands, and not have to worry about the consequences because my father has already started a war."

"You couldn't force me to go any where with you." She held his gaze defiantly. She didn't particularly like being treated a possession, but she knew this wasn't really him talking. He was having some _issues_ and merely taking it out on her. She would just have to help him through it. "You know I would fight you tooth and nail, not to mention Nymeria wouldn't let you go anywhere with me if I didn't want to go with."

"You'd want to go with me." He said knowing for certain that what he spoke was the truth.

"Oh, you think so?" She spat back at him.

The only response he felt he could give her was to lean down and kiss her. He knew it would remind her of what they felt for each other. This kiss wasn't the gentle kiss that had been like their first kiss. No, his lips had pressed hard against hers, it was full of anger and passion. And she kissed him back with the same longing and frustration that he felt. It didn't last long, but when they pulled away they still had to gasp for air. He had a self satisfied smile upon his lips, even though his eyes still showed an anger and resentment that Arya knew wasn't directed at her.

She knew the instant that his lips touched hers that she would go with him, if he asked. She hated herself for that weakness. That's why she was relieved to know that she didn't really believe that he wouldn't ask, nor would he take her against her will. "I would go with you." She admitted out loud to him, but then softened her tone, her gaze pleading with him to lighten his anger. "But you wouldn't ask, I'm not the only Stark you care about."

What she said must have resonated with him, and he closed his eyes, unable to look into hers any longer. "I know," He said helplessly, and he dropped his hands from her, it almost seemed like an act of surrender. "And still I feel I have to run, even if it's without you."

"Why?" Arya challenged him. "Do you feel particularly loyal to _them? _It seems to me Balon Greyjoy doesn't really care about your well being since he thought it would be okay to send out raiding parties on _our _coast with you still as our 'hostage.' You don't owe them anything."

"You think it's that simple Arya?" Theon asked. "You know my father has sent ships out, but there's a pattern. He's going up the coat to Deepwood Motte. It's a good a place as any to get to Winterfell. My father isn't just going to let me stay under Robb's thumb. He'll take back what's his. And that puts you and your brothers and Winterfell in danger."

"And you think by leaving us you'll keep us safe?" She argued.

"If I went to him, he would leave Winterfell alone. He'd have no reason to come here." Theon explained. Then he sighed "And he's my father. How would it look if I choose my 'captors' over him." He sounded miserable.

"You don't want to go."

"Of course I don't." He looked at her. "Everything I know is here. And I'll be Robb's enemy, I'll be forced to fight against him. I'll be _your _enemy."

"Then it's simple." Arya said. "Don't go. You don't want to… don't."

"I belong in Pyke." Theon answered seriously. "I'm heir to Pyke. Your father raised me to be a man of honor. Wouldn't that mean I should honor my father, my blood."

"Does your father deserve that honor?" Arya spit out. "Doesn't he owe allegiance to House Stark, is he not betraying us by this rebellion? If you stayed and fought for Robb, for your rightful King, a man you named as brother, wouldn't that make you honorable too?"

Theon tried to offer her a smile, but it was small and barely reached his eyes. "You make a good point, my lady." He sighed heavily. "But that doesn't solve the problem of keeping my father from sending men to Winterfell to retrieve me. It doesn't keep you or your brothers safe."

"You think Robb would make us fend for ourselves?" Arya seemed amused at the thought. "Winterfell can withstand a siege, if it even came to that. We're not helpless, we have enough men here to hold out until help came. Not all the fighting men in the North have gone with Robb. We still have allies here that can come to our aide. And you know if you stay here, your father cannot risk anything more then raids on the coastal villages."

"Or, he could consider me traitor and step up aggression." Theon said.

"Why do you keep on coming up with excuses to leave?" She asked in frustration.

He answered the question, with a question of his own. "Why are you trying so hard to get me to stay?"

"You mean beside the obvious selfish reason that I want to keep you near me for as long as I can?" She was clearly getting annoyed by his persistence in wanting to leave.

"Yes," His words crossed his arms, and almost dared her to give him another reason. "Give me another reason to stay. Because the way I see it, it would be in both of our best interests if I was gone. Being around you Arya, it can be torture, knowing that no matter how we feel, you and I are never going to be together in the way we both want."

She flinched slightly, visibly shaken by what he had said. For a moment she didn't know how to answer him, When she did speak her voice was quiet, but firm. "Fine, you want another reason." She cast him a stubborn glance. "I have at least a dozen, but I'll give you one." She jabbed an accusing finger into his chest. "You are always so consumed with keeping me safe, not letting me go off on some impetuous task. Well, now it's my turn to _save_ you. Fighting against us Theon…it would kill you. You go on and on about how you belong in Pyke. Fine, keep saying that. But you're also of the North! Don't forget that. Don't let Balon Greyjoy make you turn away from where your heart really is. And don't use me as an excuse to do it"

With that said, she had nothing left in her to say. She was done trying to convince him, it was ultimately his decision. She waited a few moments, letting her words hang thickly in the air. She could tell there was a war waging within him. When he said nothing, she simply turned away from him, ready to leave him alone with his thoughts. Before she could step away though, he grabbed her arm, forcing her to look back at him. There was a resigned expression playing upon his face. She was right, of course she was right. If he left, it would only be because he was trying to run away.

He said only two simply words. "I'll stay."


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: Again my thanks. Sorry for the delay it getting it up. Had some problems with my computer. This chapter is kind of a lead up for the next phase of where this story is going. So, I hope you enjoy.

To Suzy87: Thank you so much for compliment!

To Danceegirl92: Thanks for giving the story a chance. I'm happy you like it so far, I hope I don't disappoint.

To my French Reviewer: No fear, in the next few Chapters, Arya will be doing some things that prove she cares for Theon just as much as he cares for her.

To Universal-Public-Cockblocker: Thanks for your enthusiasm.

**Chapter 14**

"You are of course welcome here, and I accept your father's formal pledge of allegiance to my brother on Robb's behalf." Bran said from his usual place upon the dais in which he received people. His face was a mask of worry as he talked to the two young people who stood before him. "But I should warn you that it might not be safe, raiders from the Iron Islands might be on their way. Perhaps you should head back to Greywater Watch."

"My father knew of the danger and sent us anyway." Said the young woman who had introduced herself as Meera Reed. "Besides it might not be any safer there than it is here."

Meera and Jojen Reed had shown up at Winterfell twenty minutes prior, and had insisted on gaining an audience with Bran, much to Theon's discomfort. It had been four days since they had heard of King Balon's _rebellion_, and he was on edge. He had started to prep Winterfell for a siege he knew was bound to come. He didn't like having the extra people, especially those of noble blood. Not to mention he wasn't certain about their loyalties. Theon had even gone so far as to suggest that they be turned away, but Maester Luwin insisted that Howland Reed, the children's father, was a close friend to the Starks. That they should be considered amongst the Starks staunchest supporters. So Bran had decided to see them.

"I don't believe Greywater has ever been taken." Theon put in, probably a little more harshly then he intended. "It would seem a keep that is difficult to get to would be the safest place to be."

"It hasn't ever been taken." Meera said, choosing to ignore his tone. "But my father was given the task to defend the Neck, and if any army has any intention of trying to get past him to invade the North, the bogs and marshes I call home might see their fair share of blood shed."

"And we are here for other reasons." Meera's brother Jojen had finally added a serious voice to the conversation. His strange green eyes, looked pointedly at Bran.

"What other reasons, exactly?" Arya asked. She had been standing quietly behind Bran, watching the exchange with interest. She wasn't as suspicious as Theon had been. She had known of the Reeds from her father's stories and didn't question whose side they would be on. But the boy, Jojen, he made her uneasy. His eyes, when they looked at someone, they seemed like they could look right through you, like they knew all of your secrets.

"I would like to speak with Bran alone," He turned his attention to Arya, but he didn't answer her question. "If that is alright. You can see I mean him no harm." It was true, he didn't exactly look threatening, he almost looked frail and he carried no weapons.

Arya cast Theon a glance as if asking his opinion on if they should allow the request. Theon shrugged his shoulders, he didn't like it, but he didn't have any real reason not to allow it to happen. Arya back to the Reeds. "Fine, I guess it would be alright for you to speak with him."

Luwin, who had also been witnessing the audience offered to show Lady Meera to the rooms her and her brother would have while they stayed at Winterfell. Arya moved away from Bran, tugging on Theon's sleeve to get his attention so that he would come with her. She could tell he was worried about leaving Bran alone with a stranger. He had become over protective of them all in the past few days. It seemed like he was trying to compensate for what his father had done.

"I doubt he's going to hurt him." Arya whispered in Theon's ear when it appeared Theon wouldn't leave. "They're in Winterfell, and the Reed boy looks like a strong breeze would blow him over. Bran is safe."

Theon frowned at her, but he allowed her to pull them out of the hall. "I don't like them here." He said once they were outside and out of earshot of Winterfell's new guests

Arya gave him a sideways glance. "You don't say." She deadpanned. "They aren't here to harm us. My father always spoke very well of the Reeds. We have nothing to worry about."

"It's not just that." Theon sighed heavily. "It's more people we have to worry about if my father's men come. More mouths to feed if we fall under siege. More people to protect."

"Two more people won't put a serious strain on us." Arya said. "Who knows, maybe that girl can help us if it comes down to a fight. They came here on their own Theon, no guards, no men. Meera Reed carries a spear, she must know how to use it. And the wolves don't seem to have any reservations. Summer even went right up to Jojen and allowed the boy to pet him. So, stop worrying."

"I'll try." He gave her a small smile to show that he really would try. "Perhaps you're right, maybe we could use them to our advantage. We'll have to see what they have to offer."

—

Things remained tense around the Keep. Mostly it was because of the waiting. They didn't even know if an attack would come, but everyday they waited with baited breath to see if this would be the day Theon's people would come to _rescue_ him. And every day would pass without incident. News from the coast was still sparse, which wasn't surprising, but they heard even less about what was going on in the South. They did here some news from the Northern Coastal regions. The raids were still happening, which made the worries at Winterfell seem like they were justified. But so far no Ironborn had been spotted inland. There was also some guilt that they could do nothing to help those coastal towns without compromising their own defenses. They just didn't have the men.

Over the next few days, both Theon and Arya got to see what exactly what Meera Reed had to offer. The two Reeds seemed to fit into life at Winterfell pretty well. Jojen spent most of his time talking with Bran, they could barely be separated. Arya often wondered what the two of them talked about, but every time she tried to talk to Bran about it, he said she wouldn't understand. Arya seemed to get on well with Meera, the two of them had much in common. They found themselves in the practice yard together a lot, preparing for whatever might come their way at Winterfell.

They often drew a small crowd whenever Arya and Meera sparred against each other. There was little to do for some of the men-at-arms to do to keep their minds off the future. Watching the two girls spar was good entertainment. They were both graceful and light on their feet. It truly was like watching a dance, even though Meera had admitted to no formal training. Syrio was also impressed, the girl had started showing up at Arya's dancing lessons.

After one of these lessons, Arya had noticed Theon watching the both of them along with the others who had come to watch. She left Meera to talk with Syrio while she made her way over to Theon, a small smile was playing upon her lips. He didn't seem to pay her any attention as she took her place next to him, he was watching Meera continue her practice.

"You're impressed with her." She said knowingly.

"Of course." He said in an off hand sort of way, his eyes still watching the Reed girl as Syrio gave her some tips on how to improve. "She's skilled, she'll be useful. It would be difficult not to be impressed."

"Good." Arya said quietly, with a small bit of hurt in her voice. It seemed odd for his attention to be on another girl, when she was so used to it being on her.

He heard the change in her tone and looked over at her, an amused smile touched his lips. "You're jealous."

Her brow furrowed a little and she let out a small scoff. "No, I'm not." But she knew the truth, she was. She also knew that he of all people would be able to see through her lie. She couldn't help it, Meera was a pretty girl, who as far as they knew was an available option for Theon. And she wasn't completely useless like most noble ladies.

Now his attention was completely on her, he turned so that he could no longer watch Meera. He wanted to make sure that she knew his only true concern was her. If he was being honest with himself he kind of enjoyed the fact that she was jealous and for the first time in days he let himself chuckle out loud. "Yes, you are. I'm kind of flattered by it, really."

Arya narrowed her eyes at his teasing. "Shut up." She snapped at him, harsher then she intended. She didn't like feeling jealous, and she definitely didn't like him making fun of her for being jealous. For a moment neither of them said anything, he was wearing a self satisfied grin and she just glared up at him. Finally she just turned and started to stalk out of the yard.

With another little chuckle, he followed her. When he caught up to her, she didn't say anything but she didn't try to get away from him. At least that was something. "You know, it's okay to feel jealous, even if you don't have any reason to be. I'm impressed with her because she can help protect Winterfell, Arya. And honestly, I'm going to take any help I can get, if it's a means to keep you and your brothers safe."

"I don't like being jealous." She all but pouted as she said those words. "She's pretty too."

"Aye," Theon admitted after he let the thought mull within his mind. "She's got an attractiveness to her, I guess." He chuckled again when he saw her expression at his answer, but grabbed her hand to stop her from walking further. "But, she's not you Little Wolf, you can't think me that fickle, that I'd turn my attention to any new face."

She let out a small sigh and gently squeezed his hand. "Of course I don't think that. But she's not going to have to marry a Frey boy." She sounded a little deflated. "Maybe you should start paying attention to other girls. And Meera, she's better then most of those other noble women someone is going to try and make you marry someday."

For a brief moment he wanted to frown, realizing that she was bringing up topics that neither of them really wanted to talk about, unless they had to. Instead he choose not to dwell on the fact that what she said was right, but to tease her instead. "So, what you're saying is that you're jealous of some girl I may or may not marry in the future." When he saw the annoyed look she gave him, he did frown. "It's okay if you are, I'm jealous of Elmar Frey, and I've never even met him."

She smiled a little at his admission, at least she wasn't alone in being jealous. "We both must be insane."

"You're probably right," He said with a small shrug.

Before they could continue on with their conversation one of the Winterfell's guards quickly made his way up to Theon. "M'lord." He sounded a little out of breath.

Theon looked concerned as he had recognized the man as one who was supposed to be on guard duty. He suddenly became all business. "What is it?" Theon's tone put Arya on edge too, she feared that something might be wrong.

"Riders and men marching, m'lord." The guard answered quickly. "They were seen coming from the west."

Theon cursed and then started for the western most of Winterfell's watchtowers. He knew Arya awould follow him. As he walked away he looked the guard, "gather the men, start defensive preparations. Make sure Maester Luwin knows what's happening."

Theon watched as the guard left to carry out his orders, then stepped up his pace, Arya kept up easily. It took them only minutes to reach the tower then a few more to climb it. Theon wondered how close the men who were on their way had gotten in the time it took for them to get to the top of the tower. He looked out to the west, and he could see the men the guard had been talking about easily enough. Arya took the spot next to him also peered out towards riders.

"Are we ready for this?" She asked quietly.

"I don't know." He answered her honestly. "I guess we're about to find out."

For a moment Theon said nothing, his eyes solely on the coming storm from the west. His stomach seemed to drop. How in the seven hells was he supposed to get them through this? He had no doubt that those men were from the Iron Islands. And once more he wondered if he had he made the right choice in staying at Winterfell. But then something caught his eye as the riders came closer. The banners those men carried, they didn't have the Greyjoy kraken. In fact he didn't recognize the sigil on those banners as any from the Iron Islands.

"Those banners aren't any of the banners from the Iron Islands." Theon said quietly.

Arya took a closer look. It was true, she could see that now that they were closer. "No, you're right." She pointed now towards the flags that became more recognizable as they came closer. "That's the Flayed Man, isn't it. Those are Bolton men." Her voice was tinged with both excitement and relief. She turned to look at him. "I told you Robb wouldn't leave us to fend for ourselves."

—

The Bolton men came to a stop at what seemed to be a fair distance away from the keep. Apparently they knew that those who were at Winterfell would be weary of visitors, even if they appeared to be friends. They sent a lone messenger ahead of them. Theon himself went to the gates to receive him. Once the man was safely within the keeps walls, Theon took the letter he carried. He broke the wax seal that bore the Starks sigil, with that Theon knew these men had indeed been sent by Robb. He read the note quickly, just to make sure, then handed the letter to Luwin who had also come to greet the messenger.

"Ramsay Snow leads them." Theon murmured to Luwin as he read.

"Aye," Luwin said, concern in his voice, "I've heard stories of Roose Bolton's bastard boy. None of them good. He's supposedly very cruel."

"And yet, he's here at Robb's behest." Theon motioned to the scrap of parchment that Maester held in his hand. "Perhaps they're just rumors."

"Perhaps." Luwin said quietly. "But I don't like that his men outnumber those here at Winterfell. Be on your guard around him."

Theon could tell that something was troubling the old man, but he just nodded his head. "I will. I'll tell Arya, Bran, Rickon and the Reeds as well."

"The Winterfell guard as well." Luwin added. "Just tell everyone to remain civil. We don't want to insult anyone either."

Theon paused for a moment. "Robb wouldn't send someone he thought to be dangerous to protect his siblings and his home."

"You are right," Luwin admitted. "He wouldn't. But he might have asked someone else to look after the protection of Winterfell in his name. It was his seal on the letter but not his handwriting. He could have Lord Bolton to make arrangements."

"And Lord Bolton could use that as an opportunity," Theon said with a sigh.

"Ramsay Snow is the only living son of Roose Bolton. If Ramsay could prove his usefulness to the King in the North, that would reflect well on Lord Bolton himself and Robb would have the power to legitimize Ramsay." Luwin said.

"Well, let us hope that Roose Bolton has a tight leash on his bastard." Theon said. Then turned to leave. "I'll go prepare the Starks to receive their _guest._"

"I'll have Snow brought to the main hall when he's ready." Luwin looked to the gates, the Bolton men had just started to enter.

Theon just nodded his head and walked away. It wasn't hard to find the Stark children, they were where he expected them to be, in the main hall. He walked slowly to where they all stood and Bran sat. The wolves were calmly lying down at their feet. They all looked at him expectantly.

"So, it's safe then, they really are from Robb?" Arya asked.

"It would seem that way, or at least he had them sent here for our protection." Theon answered carefully.

"Then why aren't you happier about it?" Bran asked curiously.

"Maester Luwin seems to be concerned that the person who leads these men might have ulterior motives. We're not sure he can be completely trusted." He answered.

"Who did he send?" Arya asked with a small frown. She didn't like having to question the man her brother had sent to help them.

"Ramsay Snow." Theon stated.

"Bolton's Bastard." Arya said knowingly. Of course she would have heard the rumors that surrounded the man. Arya had a way of finding out things that normal girls wouldn't want to know. "He can't be that bad, if Robb agreed to it. Right?"

Theon shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "Just watch yourselves around him." He looked first at Arya, then to the rest of those assembled around her. "All of you."

They all looked to the door of the great hall that had just been opened and watched as Maseter Luwin led a group of men inside. All three wolves growled lowly, before Arya told them to hush. Their reaction to the men did nothing to ease Theon's mind. The last person to enter Theon noticed, was a woman who was being led in on a rope by one of the Bolton men. Ramsay Bolton was easy to pick out, he had the same pale eyes as his father. The Maester stopped them when they stood before the young people. Ramsay took that moment to bow and his men followed suit. The one who had led the obvious prisoner forced the woman to bow down as well.

The Maester cleared his throat. "Allow me to present Ramsay Snow of the Dreadfort."

"My Princes." Ramsay said as he straightened up and looked directly Bran, then Rickon, it seemed he knew exactly who the Starks were. He waited for them to nod a greeting at him, then his gaze shifted to Arya. "My Princess."

Arya was unsettled by his stare, the same way she had been unsettled by Roose Bolton's all those weeks ago. Theon could sense her unease and took a protective step slightly in front of her so that he partially obstructed Ramsay's view. Theon fathered the man's attention stayed away from Arya, and eyes lingered far longer on her then Theon liked. Or at least that's how it seemed to Theon. He didn't even want Ramsay to look in her direction.

This small act seemed to amuse Ramsay Snow as his attention went from Arya to Theon. A polite smile played upon his lips, "and you must be Lord Theon Greyjoy. I've brought a guest that might interest you." He motioned for the man who had led the prisoner in to bring her forward. "You see, we were at Deepwood Motte before we came here, helping to protect against the raiders your father insisted on sending out. We suppressed the invaders and even managed to take a few prisoners." The prisoner now stood beside Ramsay Snow. "I do believe this is your sister."

For a moment the hall was completely still and silent. Theon just stared at the woman beside Snow. The bastard could be lying for all he knew. He hadn't seen his sister since they were both children. He thought there might have been some familiar features, but he couldn't be sure. He felt Arya place her hand on his arm, giving it a small squeeze to let him know that he wasn't alone. That seemed to wake him a bit, at least enough to say something. "Yara?"

The woman just looked up at him, her mouth twisted in disdainful frown. She gave a curt nod of her head. "Little brother."

After a few more tense moments of silence, Luwin cleared his throat. "Perhaps we could find some suitable accommodations for Lady Greyjoy." The suggestion was directed at Bran, as he was technically the acting Lord of Winterfell.

"Oh, right." Said Bran, he had been distracted by the family reunion that had just happened. He motioned to as serving girl who was nearby. "Go ready a guest room." As the serving girl left to do as she was bid he looked at Theon, hoping that what he said next was the right thing. "We should have some guards stationed at her door, she probably shouldn't have free reign of the keep."

Theon looked from his sister to Bran and nodded his head. "Aye, I'll post some guards." He looked back at his sister who just scowled at him. Clearly she saw him as a traitor, since he was helping to keep her prisoner. He gave no reaction, he just stared at her grimly.

"I'd be careful of this one, she can put up one hell of a fight." Ramsay spoke up. "If you'd like, I can offer some of my men to take up guard duty. They at least know what to expect of her."

Theon's eyes narrowed as they looked at the bastard. "It's okay, I think the guards of Winterfell can handle it."

"As you wish, my Lord." Ramsay said as if it were no matter to him. "Just know that we are here to offer any assistance that we can."

"Thank you," Bran put in before Theon could speak. "We welcome your aide and offer you our hospitality. I know you have traveled far and you probably wish to take your rest. I offer you and your men the use of Winterfell's barracks."

"Thank you," Ramsay bowed once more, "my Prince. With your leave I'll see to my men."

Bran gave his dismissal and Ramsay left with the men who had come in with him. He left Yara Greyjoy in the care of one of the Winterfell guards that had been standing near the doors. Theon nodded to the the guards as if to tell him to take her to her room in the guest wing. Luwin also followed Ramsay Bolton out the doors, in case the man needed any assistance.

Arya's hand was still on Theon's arm and she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Are you okay?"

He turned to face her and he felt her hand drop from his arm. "I'm fine." He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring way, but she looked unconvinced.

"Are you going to go talk to her?" She looked up at him, her eyes full of concern.

"I probably should." He said reluctantly.

"Do you want me to go with?"

"I'll be okay." He answered her, he could tell that she didn't believe him, and this time his small smile was a little more genuine. "I'll be fine. I'm not sure I want anyone to witness this family reunion. She didn't seem all that happy to see me."

"Okay." He could still hear the disapproval in her tone, but she didn't press him.

Theon looked at her carefully, "remember what I said about being careful around him." He nodded towards the door that Ramsay had just departed from. "In fact, try and stay away from him." He looked over to Bran and Rickon. "All of you, try and stay away from him. I don't trust him."

Arya nodded her head. "He seems polite enough, and he says all the right things, but when you look him in the eyes. I don't know. He doesn't seem genuine."

Bran also seemed to agree, "the wolves didn't like him either."

"Okay, then it's settled." Theon said with satisfaction. "You all will keep your distance. If for any reason one of you has to deal with him, take me with you. Or better yet, just let me deal with it." He gave each of them a pointed look, "alright?" They all nodded their heads in agreement. "Good, then I'm going to go see about welcoming my sister to Winterfell."

—

It was easy enough to find where they had put Yara. She had been given a modest guest room, that was small, but warm. It would be a damn sight more comfortable then the dungeons. It was a gilded cage to be sure, but it had to be for she was technically a lady of a noble house. They would treat her as such. When he reached the door, the two guards who had been down in the hall for her arrival nodded at him. He returned the nod and then knocked on the door. He waited a moment before the door was opened by the woman who seemed to be his sister and she looked furious.

"I didn't realize jailers knocked." Yara spat at him.

"I was being polite." He answered her. "And I'm not your jailor. You heard the Maester, you are to be treated as a guest."

"A guest who is in chains?" She was angry, and he supposed she had a right to be. But what did she expect, she had betrayed the Starks and she had been caught.

"You wear no chains that I can see." He motioned to her wrists, the guards must have cut off the ropes that had held before she had entered this room.

"But I am still in a cell." She glared at him as if it was all his fault that she was in this position.

"A comfortable one."

"I am your _sister._" She said as if he needed to be reminded of this.

"Which is probably why you are being treated with more respect then you deserve." He finally spat back at her.

"Should I thank you for this then?" She sneered as she motioned around the room. "Should I thank my dear brother for turning his back on his family, and allying himself with the Wolves?"

"Father was the one who decided to rebel while I was being held hostage." Theon felt his temper starting to slip.

"And yet, Robb Stark has left you at Winterfell, all alone, you even seem to be in charge of the guard. It seems you had every opportunity to escape. But here you stand. Loyal as ever to your captors." Her glare was like an accusation.

"They never treated me as one." Theon's voice was quiet. "Lord Stark raised me, not as if I was his own son, he wouldn't disrespect our own father in that way. But he is the one who made me into the man I am today. I grew up with his sons, they are like brothers to me. I know that probably hurts to hear Yara, but it's true. I don't know you, the only bond we have is blood. And if you'll remember, the reason I was placed with the Starks was because of a rebellion our father attempted so many years ago."

"You are blaming your father for your betrayal." Yara lowered herself so that she sat on her bed. Her eyes still glared at him. "Your place should be with your family."

"I am a Greyjoy, but father acted without honor when he ordered his men to attack the coast. Lord Stark taught me honor. My place is with my king." Theon said firmly. "My King is Robb Stark."

"Then I suppose you made your choice." She almost seemed resigned. "I was coming for you. We thought you couldn't escape. That's why I was at Deepwood Motte." Her voice had turned bitter. "I suppose it would have been all for nothing."

"You're right it would have been." Theon said simply. "I wouldn't have left willingly."

"Right, because your a loyal _Stark man_." Her sarcasm wasn't lost on Theon. "And I'm sure it had nothing to do with that Stark girl downstairs. I may have been tied up, but I was not blindfolded. I saw how you reacted when that bastard showed any sort of interest in her."

It was his turn to glare at her. "You do not know me."

Yara let out a small, mocking laugh. "You a really are a fool."

"It was father who acted the fool. Surely you must realize that." Theon countered. "This war that's going on, it won't last forever. And once it's over, don't you think that whoever wins it will turn their attention on the Iron Islands, their _full_ attention. I know and you must also realize, that father doesn't have the men to defend any of the lands he might take in the North. He might even lose the Islands in the attempt."

"I know my place is with Father." She answered stubbornly.

"Then perhaps all Greyjoys are fools." He shook his head and turned to leave. Without looking to her, he said "I'll write to Robb, I'll see if I can convince him to offer father some terms for your release. You won't be mistreated here. I can at least guarantee that you'll be kept comfortable. You'll be safe."

He could hear her sigh. "Well, at least there's that." Then quietly she added. "Theon, you'll want to be careful around that Snow. You weren't wrong to want to protect that girl from him." He turned to look at her. When she saw she had is attention she went on. "He killed for the fun of it, you could see in his face he enjoyed it. There were more prisoners, then just me. I'm the only one who made the journey here alive. I was too valuable to be mistreated. That doesn't mean that I wasn't though. He just made sure that my wounds couldn't be seen."

—

Weeks had passed since Ramsay Snow arrived at Winterfell with his men. At times it almost seemed peaceful. Arya found it to be extremely easy to avoid the Bastard of Bolton. He and his men seemed to keep to themselves, not bothering Winterfell and it's inhabitants. Since Yara had become a guest at Winterfell, reports of raiding parties had been going down. There were still Iron Born ships spotted on the coast, and from time to time one of them would be daring enough to pillage a small coastal town, but on the whole, things seemed to be calming down. Theon had sent Robb a raven telling him of Yara's capture, and Theon had thought maybe they were in talks with Balon to have her released. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, it seemed his father cared more about her safety than his. He forced himself not to dwell on that.

Things were quiet, and as the days went on, that seemed to unsettle the Theon and the Stark kids. They knew that the calm never lasted. At least it hadn't lately. That's why there weren't surprised when they saw another group of riders coming along. This time the came from the south along the King's Road and carried the wolf banner of the Starks. Ser Rodrik had returned home, and with him came unpleasant news.

It seemed that there had been a great battle for King's Landing. Stannis Baratheon had attempted to take the city and was beaten badly. His navy was in ruins, his army's numbers reduced to a point where he could not hope to launch another attack any time soon. The man himself had almost not escaped the city. He had found his way back to Dragonstone to lick his wounds. He was no longer a threat to Joffery and the Iron Throne The Tyrell's had thrown their support to the Lannisters. And that meant that all the Southron armies could turn their sole attention on the Riverlands and the North, on Robb and his armies. Ramsay Snow was being called to Moat Cailin to help the Reeds defend the Neck as a precaution.

Perhaps to Arya and Theon, the worst news of all was that Robb had gotten married, and it wasn't to any Frey girl. Walder Frey had been rightfully insulted and had almost called off the alliance with Robb. But somehow Robb had managed to appease the man. He had convinced their Uncle Edmure to marry one of Frey's daughters. And he Arya's betrothal would remain in tact. In fact it was now being moved up. She would have to travel, with a host of guards, to the Twins to attend the wedding of her Uncle, whom she had never even met, and shortly there after she would marry Elmar Frey.

On the night they found out, when Theon went to say goodnight to her he barged into her room without knocking. "I'm going with you when you leave." He could still feel the anger working its way through him. "I have a few things I'd like to say to your brother that I don't think a letter will do justice."

Arya was just as angry as Theon, but while his anger ran hot, hers felt cold. She walked over to him and took his hands in hers. She looked at him calmly, her voice held steady even though she felt like screaming. "You can't."

"Why not?" He asked defiantly.

"Because my other brothers need you here." Again she used that same calm voice. "Ramsay and his men are leaving, even with the men that Robb sent with Rodrik, Winterfell will be vulnerable again."

"You don't think I've thought of that?" She didn't realize it, but this was an argument she was not going to win. With her hands still in his, he pulled her over to the bed and sat down. She reluctantly sat down next to him. "I feel better about leaving here, knowing that Ramsay isn't going to be staying much longer after we leave. I've already talked with Ser Rodrik and Maester Luwin, we've come up with a way for your brothers to escape in case my father tries something. Their is an exit plan. Your brothers would leave with the Reeds and that wilding woman Osha, that we caught all those months ago. If they have to leave, they'll head for Last Hearth, the Umbers will take care of them. I don't even think it would come to them having to flee. Syrio Forrell has also decided to stay on at Winterfell for a little longer. Apparently the First Sword of Braavos has taking a liking to you Starks and seems invested in protecting the family. With Rodrik here, I'm not needed here anymore. He knows better how to defend Winterfell then I do, he's had more experience."

Before responding to him, she looked at him carefully, she saw his determination. "I'm not going to talk you out of this am I?"

"No." He said stubbornly.

"Theon, this is going to be hell for you." She said miserably. "This is it. I'm actually going to have to marry that boy. It's not just _someday _anymore. It's going to happen soon. I didn't want you to be there when it happened. You don't need to go through that."

His smile was sad. "And I don't want you to have to go through that alone. You're stuck with me right up until the end. I told you I would always be there for you, even if it causes me some pain."

She pulled her gaze away from his and sighed, then rested her head on his shoulder. "I hate Robb."

"No you don't." Theon said knowingly. "You're angry with him. There's a difference."

"I know what the difference is," she said. "And I know I hate him. Why does he get to be happy?"

Theon didn't know how to answer her. It was probably because he felt the same way she did, and he knew there was nothing he could say to make her feel better. So they sat there quietly, he wasn't sure for how long. He stayed with her that night, even though he had promised himself that he wouldn't. And after that the next five days passed in a blur of activity. Before they knew it they found themselves on the King's Road, heading for the Twins.

**One last Author's note**

To Suzy 87: Sorry, no siege! But I'm not sure having Ramsay Snow any where near Winterfell is a good thing, ever.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who is reading, it means a lot to me.

**Chapter 15**

The journey to the Twins passed more quickly than Arya would have expected. She supposed that time had felt like it had sped up for her because it felt like with each passing day her freedom was slipping away. The closer they got to their destination, the more her anger at Robb grew. She wasn't sure what exactly would happen when she came to face with her brother, she knew she had a lot to say to him, but it was a mystery to her how she would go about expressing her anger towards him.

Ayra supposed she would find out soon. Their party had come to a stop, in the distance she could see from atop her horse, the towers of the Twins and the bridge that spanned the river between them. There was a small city of tents on their side of the river that flew the Stark banners and those banners of the houses who were fighting alongside Robb. Theon could see the frown on Arya's face as she looked out at scene before them. He guided his horse over to where hers stood.

"Are you okay?" He asked tentatively wondering what her reaction would be to him approaching her. While they were traveling they hadn't talked much to each other. It seemed as if they had come to a silent understanding that it would be better if they kept their distance from each other. He wondered if it was because they thought it would be easier to part ways when the time came if they already started to cut ties with each other now. He didn't think it would work.

She didn't look at him, she just kept her eyes on the Twins, and she didn't answer his question. "Where do you think the twenty-second son of a Lord and his unfortunate wife live after they get married?" She canted her head to the side as if she was contemplating one of life's greatest mysteries. "Do you suppose I'll have to live in one of those towers with the rest of Lord Frey's family? Do you think there's enough room?" Finally she looked at Theon. "I don't think my father would have wanted this for me."

Her last statement made him frown, because he was fairly certain that Lord Stark would have wanted so much more for his youngest daughter. Instead of stating that obvious fact, he simply said, "I'm sure your brother will make sure you are well provided for." He let a bit of sarcasm creep into his voice, "he's a King now. He has the power to do as he wishes. Perhaps he'll grant your new husband some land."

Grimly, she nodded her head and then turned back to the Twins. "Are you ready for this."

"Probably more so then you are, my Princess," he said with a forced lightness.

"What did I say about calling me that." She attempted to banter back with him, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it.

"Come on, I'm sure your brother is waiting for us," he said then, then motioned to the rest of the party that they were ready to move on. He directed his horse to start moving toward the tents. Reluctantly Arya followed behind him.

"Where's your wolf?" He called back to her as they resumed their journey.

"Hunting." Arya answered him distractedly, her thoughts still contemplating her doomed future

As they neared the Northern Army's encampment, they saw that some of the King's own guard had come out to greet them. As they led her to her brother's command tent she couldn't bring herself to look up at the bustling camp around her. She just kept her eyes on the ground, letting her horse be guided by the rider who walked in front of her. She wondered if the feelings she was feeling now, were similar to those of a condemned prisoner going to the gallows.

It wasn't long before they stopped. One of the guards helped her down from the horse. She numbly nodded her thanks as he instructed her that Robb, along with her mother would be waiting for her when she was ready to enter the tent he motioned to. For a moment she just stood there staring at the large tent. A fleeting question of why they weren't meeting inside Lord Frey's keep itself entered her mind. Surely the man would have offered King Robb, his king, more suitable accommodations then a field tent. The question left almost as soon as it came, she had other things on her mind. She knew that entering that tent would be bittersweet. Her mother was in there, she hadn't realized how much she had missed Catelyn. And as much as she was angry with Robb, he was still her brother.

"Do you want me to go in with you?" Theon asked as he stepped next to her.

She almost sighed in relief. She wasn't sure she could go in there alone, and she would have been too proud to ask him to go with her to confront her brother. She looked up at him with a grim sort of smile. "Yes, I really would like you to go with me." She wished she could grab his hand for the extra support, but knew at this time, in this place, it would not be a good idea. Instead she put on her most determined face, looked to the tent and started to walk towards it.

Once she slipped inside the tent, she had to wait a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkened interior from the sun outside. Once she did she was able to find her mother, who wore a small relieved smile. From her mother her gaze drifted to a pretty woman, who she figured to be Robb's new bride. Arya felt a small frown touch her lips, then looked to Robb who was had been sitting at his war table, but was in the process of standing up to greet her. She felt Theon step into the tent behind her, and the cold fury she had been trying to contain for the past few weeks started to bubble up within her.

Arya abruptly took her attention away from Robb and looked to two guards who were also in the tent, presumably there to protect the Royal Family. "Leave us." She told them, her voice cold and hard. For a moment, the guards just stood there, looking uncertainly at the furious little girl that stood be for them. "Leave us!" Arya said, this time it almost seemed like a warning.

The guards looked at each other, then they looked to their King. Robb sighed wearily and simply said, "it's okay. Go." It took only seconds for the guards to obey.

Once guards had passed Arya and Theon who still stood near the tent's entrance, Arya calmly walked over to her brother. For a second all she did was glare at him, he had the audacity to look her in the eye as if nothing was wrong. That only only fueled her anger. Finally she balled her left hand into a fist and launched a punch across his jaw as hard as she could.

"Arya!" Catelyn cried out in alarm.

Robb stumbled back once the contact was made, more from surprise than anything else. He raised a hand to rub his chin, surprised that it stung a bit. His little sister could pack quite the punch. "I think you've gotten stronger since I last saw you." Was all he managed to say before she stepped closer to him again and gave him a rough shove, forcing him back another step.

"How could you?" She asked him harshly. "You knew how he felt about me." She accentuated her anger by pushing him again.

"Theon!" Catelyn pleaded as she looked to him. "Do something."

"I'm sorry, my Lady," There was a small, proud smirk on his face as he watched Arya with her brother. "I don't think I could stop her, even if I wanted to."

Robb had heard Theon's words and cast annoyed glance toward his friend all while Ayra geared up to pushing again. He could see another verbal assault was going to come his way along with the physical one. Before she could do either he quickly grabbed her wrists so she couldn't shove him again. "Arya stop."

She yanked wrists away from him, but didn't move to push him again. Anger was still alive within her, but instead of hitting him again she jabbed him roughly on his chest with her index finger. "Why should I? You deserve worse. You do as you please, not thinking of the consequences, of what it will do to your family, to your friends." She jabbed him again. "You made a promise to Lord Frey. You broke it. And now your forcing me to keep the other half of that promise you made him. What do you think Father would think of all of this? You put your happiness before everyone else's!"

"I love her." He looked to the woman he had not yet been able to formally introduce to Arya. It was the only thing he could say in response. It was no excuse, but it was his only reason.

"And I love Theon." Arya said, not looking to the girl. The words just came out of her as if she hadn't given them much thought. It was only after she said them that she realized it was the first time she had actually said the words out loud to anyone. She was certain that Theon himself knew how she felt, but saying them out loud made her feel a bit self-conscious. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, so her eyes stayed on Robb who seemed a bit taken aback at her admission.

For a brief moment Theon had thought he only imagined what he had heard. His eyes lingered on Arya, he wished he could will her to look at him, he wanted to be certain he had heard right, but she wouldn't bring her eyes to meet his. He of course knew that she loved him, her actions had proved it, but neither of them had ever said love to each other. He had almost said it, but she had stopped him with a kiss, knowing that saying it would only make them hurt more when they had to be parted.

Arya's heart thudded at the admission but she went on as if it were nothing. "But I don't get to marry him. Instead you're making me marry a stranger. Like you should have. But you put yourself ahead of your family… your friend. You put a pretty face above your honor." She knew it was cruel even as she said it, but she didn't care.

"Careful now, Arya." Robb said, his eyes had narrowed and his voice was dangerous. "You have every reason to be upset, but do not talk about my wife with such disrespect, remember she is your sister now too."

"Arya…" Catelyn started gently, hoping that she could calm the girl down. She was the only one who seemed not to be surprised by Arya's declaration.

Arya closed her eyes, and forced herself to count to ten. When she opened her eyes, she turned to the young woman who was Robb's wife. Her anger softened slightly, "I'm sorry my Queen. I'm sure you're a very lovely person and I do hope we get a chance to get to know each other. I didn't mean to take my anger out on you." Arya's eyes returned her gaze back to Robb. "My anger solely lies with my brother."

Arya missed the quiver of the woman's lips as she tried not to smile. "It's quite all right, Sister." She said. "And please call me Talisa."

Before Arya could answer, Robb held her gaze with a pleading look. "I _am_ sorry, Arya." Robb was sincere, Arya could see that plainly, it gave her small comfort to know that he did feel guilty. "If I could alter the agreement with Lord Frey, I would. But I need his men, if we are to even have a chance at winning this war. I need him. He will not budge. Please, try to understand."

"I do understand." Arya said, her voice finally starting to even out, but there was still a bitterness to it. "Why do you think I haven't run away? I'm not just thinking of myself."

"I know." Robb said. "And don't think you don't have my gratitude. I know this is a huge sacrifice for you."

"I'm not sure you understand what I'm feeling." Arya said, and she sounded tired.

Robb watched his sister carefully. He stepped forward and tentatively wrapped his arms around her in what he hoped was a reassuring hug. "This isn't how I wanted our reunion to go. You're tired, you've had a long journey, we will talk later. I will try to make amends, I promise. I might have to give you away, but I won't abandon you. I'll always be your brother."

For the first few moments of the hug, she remained stiff, refusing to give an inch to her brother. But as he talked her heart seemed to thaw a little towards him. She realized she did love her brother, despite his stupidity. She knew there would be a long road to forgiveness, but he was her family. Finally, in one awkward gesture she returned the hug. She muttered a small jest, "if I have to marry this Frey boy, you better win this war, _Your Grace._"

Robb let out a small, quiet laugh. She hadn't offered her forgiveness, and he hadn't expected it. But at least she didn't seem to be shutting him out completely. "Don't worry I will."

Arya pulled away from her brother and gave him one final look. There was still an unhappiness to her that Robb could sense in the way she looked at him, but she was no longer openly hostile towards him. It was almost a relief to see her turn away from him so she could properly greet their mother. But the respite only lasted a moment, because once he wasn't focused on Arya, Robb could feel the weight of Theon's glare. For the moment he choose to ignore it and watched some of his mother's happiness return as Arya went to embrace her.

When Arya was in her mother's arms, she managed a true and genuine smile. She hadn't realized how much she had missed her mother. There was much comfort to be had in her mother's presence, and she needed the woman's support. She had a feeling her mother might know more about what she was feeling. It was the first time she felt that her mother could really help her. This knowledge made her feel feel like a child again, it made her feel vulnerable and she hated it. After a moment she pulled away from her mother.

"Robb is right. I think I need to rest some." Mostly she didn't want anyone else to see how weak she felt.

Catelyn smiled a little and nodded her head. She truly was happy to have another child of hers in such close proximity. She took her daughter, gently by the arm. "Come, I'll show you to your tent." She guided Arya back to the tent's entrance and came to a stop before Theon. "It's good to see you again Theon. You've kept your promise to me. Thank you."

Theon knew she had been referring to when she had ordered him to keep Arya safe before she had left Winterfell to go to King's Landing. It had seemed so long ago, but he remembered that day clearly. He bowed to her respectfully. "Lady Catelyn." When he straightened up, Cat noticed he didn't look back at her. His eyes were unsurprisingly on Arya. For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other. There was a lot of pain in their gaze, but there was also a resolve in them. It seemed the two of them had accepted their fate, even though it was obvious they were miserable. Catelyn hoped Robb knew what they were giving up for him. And there was a stab of guilt in her own heart at the part she had played when she had brokered the deal with Walder Frey in the first place.

Finally Arya spoke up, but not taking her eyes away from Theon. "I'm not the only one you hurt, Robb." With that said she let her mother lead her out of the tent.

Theon wanted to leave the tent too, he wasn't sure he could stay in the same vicinity as Robb at the moment. With his mouth set in a grim line, he made another bow in Robb's direction. "I'll take my leave Your Grace."

"Theon, wait." Rob said quickly.

"Right," said Talisa, finally speaking up again after watching the scene. "I'm going to go help your mother see to your sister." She moved over to her husband and kissed him gently on his cheek. She then looked to Theon with a sympathetic smile. "It was nice to meet you Lord Theon."

"Your Grace." He said with yet another bow. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to all this formality.

Talisa gave him another smile and then quickly left the tent as the two men watched her.

"She's lovely. I hope you'll be happy with her." Theon said, hoping he was able to keep at least a good portion of the bitterness he felt from his voice.

Robb studied his friend for a moment, "you're not going to hit me too are you?"

Theon let out a snort of laughter. "I had thought about it." He then let out a sigh. "But I don't have the luxury of being related to you. You could have me killed for such an offense, Your Grace."

Robb managed a smile. "You don't have to call me that when no one else is here. And I wouldn't kill you over something like that. I might even admit that I deserve it. You know, I really am sorry."

"So you keep saying." There was a frustration in his voice, "but that's not going to fix anything, you know that right?"

"I know," Robb slumped back into the chair he had been sitting in before they had come in. He motioned for Theon to take a seat as well and let out a small sigh. "I won't ever be able to make it up to you, or to her. But I hope at some point you can both forgive me."

"It'll take time." Theon said, a bit of a smile touching his lips, "and you're going to have to work _really_ hard to make it happen."

"Any idea's on how to I can do that?" Robb asked with a dark chuckle.

"With Arya? Sure I have an idea," Theon said and looked to Robb to make sure he was listening. "After you've won this war, and you go back to Winterfell, take her and that boy who's going to be her husband with you. You're King, you can have who you want at your court, tell Lord Frey you want her there. She doesn't belong here in the river lands, she belongs in the North. After all your asking her to give up, don't make her give up her home too."

"Aye, I'll keep that in mind." Robb responded. "And what about you?"

"Me?" Theon asked, he hadn't really thought how Robb could help him. Then quietly he said, "for me, when this war is over, don't make me go back to Winterfell. I don't want to have to see her live her life with someone else. Send me back to Pyke, once you've dealt with my father, give me Pyke. It'll guarantee that you'll have a loyal ally in the Iron Islands. Maybe I can start cleaning up the mess my father made."

Robb just nodded his head. "I can't say that I won't miss having you around Winterfell, but I understand." He paused a moment. "You'll stay though, with the army, until the war is over?"

"You're my King, Robb. My sword is yours." Theon said simply. The words were not hollow, but there was still a tension in them. Theon thought that maybe the rift Robb had opened between them would take a long while to breach.

Robb must have sensed it too, and he knew that nothing but time could make things better, so he switched the subject. "How were my brothers when you left?"

Theon seemed to be grateful for the change too, "They seemed to be in good spirits. I think the miss you and your mother. Your father's loss hit all of them hard. I think having Meera and Jojen Reed there is good for them. Bran especially seems to get along well with them."

"And your sister?" Robb asked.

Theon shrugged at this, "she's comfortable, but angry."

"Understandable. We've contacted your father, but other then less raids on the coast, we've heard nothing." Robb said watching Theon carefully. He wasn't certain how his friend felt about what his father had done, and he wasn't sure he had the right to talk to him about it at the moment. It seemed like there was a tentative truce between them and he didn't want to force Theon to talk to him about anything too personal. "What about Roose Bolton's bastard, Ramsay?" He trusted Theon's instincts about the man. When Theon had sent Robb a raven explaining his misgivings about the man, he knew he had to get Ramsay away from his family and Winterfell.

"He and his men were preparing to leave when we left. They should be on their way to Moat Cailin by now, if not already there." Theon said. "But I don't trust him Robb, just make sure you know what you're doing when you choose to use him in the field."

"Noted." Robb said seriously. For a moment both of them were silent. It seemed like there were things that both of them wanted to say, but they neither knew how to say them. Finally Robb spoke up again. "Thank you for coming, Theon. It means a lot."

"I didn't come for you." Robb muttered, he didn't mean to sound sullen, but the words came out of him mouth before he could stop them.

"I know." Robb said with a sigh. "But I'm still grateful you're here and that you're going to stay."

Theon just nodded his head as if to say 'you're welcome.'

Robb realized that they had run out of things to say to each other. It was odd not being able to fall back into the easy friendship they had before he had left Winterfell. I guess that was just another consequence for his to marry Talisa. Theon probably felt like Robb had taken away a chance for him to be happy. Robb wanted to say sorry again, but Theon had a point. Saying that wasn't going to make things better. So instead he said, "I should let you get settled in."

It was a dismissal, and Theon felt a little relieved by it, so he stood up and almost walked out of the tent without a word.

"Theon," Robb said quickly from his chair, "am I still your brother?"

Despite himself, Theon managed to turn and give Robb a small smile. "Now and always. That's what family does, right? Stick by each other no matter how much they hurt each other? No matter how stupid or selfish they act?"

—

Arya barely said anything to her mother and Talisa as they made their way to the tent that would be Arya's home for a very short time. Both her mother and her good sister tried to draw her out in conversation, but Arya only answered in sharp, curt, one word answers. When they reached the small tent, the Queen apologized to Arya that the accommodations weren't better.

"It's only for the night." Talisa explained. "Tomorrow we'll present ourselves to Lord Frey before your Uncle's wedding and I'ms sure he'll offer you the hospitality of a proper room with proper bed."

Arya looked around the spartan tent. There was a small, uncomfortable looking field cot, a small wooden table that held a pitcher of water, and a few other things that cluttered the small area. It would do, she didn't need much, and she'd rather be there in her brother's camp, than within the Frey walls. She looked to her mother. "Why hasn't Lord Frey offered his hospitality to Robb already?"

Catelyn sighed, there was a sudden exasperation in her expression. "Lord Frey has decided that he would rather all of us be presented to him together before he welcomed us. We had to wait for you to arrive. He used the excuse that he wanted to make sure all that was promised him would be here before he showed his forgiveness. I think he just wanted a chance to insult your brother one more time."

"He seems a petty man." Commented Arya.

"It is his way," Cat said with resignation. "But he _was_ wronged. Your brother must bear the disrespect."

"This is the family you would have me marry into?" The disgust was plain in Arya's voice.

"They are not all bad." Talisa tried to soothe Arya. "Your brother had a Frey boy squire for him for a time, before… well before he married me. That boy seemed very loyal to Robb." Arya noted that at least the Queen did seem to feel bad about the situation she had caused.

"Is that the boy I am to marry?" Arya asked pointedly.

"No, my sweet girl," Catelyn said gently.

"Do you know this Elmar Frey?" Arya looked to her mother expectantly.

Catelyn just shook her head in the negative. "But perhaps he'll be similar. You might grow fond of him." She added quietly. "I did not love your father when I married him. But eventually I did grow to love him. It could be the same for you child."

A rush of anger came to Arya at her mother's words. Catelyn seemed to be dismissing her feelings for Theon if she thought she could grow to love someone else. Any happiness and warmth she had felt for her mother prior to this moment seemed to diminish. "And did you love someone else when you married him?"

"I thought I loved his brother, your Uncle Brandon." Catelyn said quietly, it was something she rarely talked about. "But I was young, much like you are. Perhaps what I did feel for him was love, but it faded with time and I was able to open my heart to your father."

"Uncle Brandon died!" Arya said "Theon isn't dead! And don't minimize what I feel for him as if it were some childish infatuation. I've never wanted to get married, to be a lady of a great house, that was always what Sansa wished for. But I'm old enough to realize that since I was born a girl, that was what my lot in life would be. I could have resigned myself to that fate, if it had been someone I loved. I could have been happy with Theon, Mother! You and Robb took that happiness away from me. And so help me, I'm trying really hard not to hate the two of you right now, because despite it all I still love you both, but I don't particularly want to be around you right now."

Arya knew that with those words she had hurt her mother. She regretted it instantly of course, but there was a small part of her that was satisfied that she was able to get back at her mother for her part in the pain she had caused Arya.

"I'll leave you then." It was plain to see that Catelyn had upset Arya more then help her. She obviously hadn't chosen her words as carefully as she should have. She knew her daughter really did love Theon, she hadn't meant to downplay those feelings Arya felt. Despite her hurt she could understand why her daughter had lashed out at her with such harsh words, but she doubted Arya would listen to an apology from her while she was so angry.

"Morther," Arya started, feeling a stab of guilt at hearing the hurt in her mother's voice. But still she couldn't bring herself to say she was sorry, because she wasn't sorry for what she said. The words were true, but maybe she could have said them in a more civilized manner. Instead she said, "perhaps tomorrow we'll talk further about this, after Uncle's wedding. I'm just very tired right now."

Catelyn just nodded, knowing that that would have to be enough for now. She then nodded at Talisa who had witnessed the entire encounter. Without another word the Lady Stark simply walked out of the tent, her heart a mixture of hurt that her daughter was so angry with her and happiness that Arya was so near her again. She only wished her other children were with her as well.

Inside the tent, Talisa tried to offer the younger woman a sympathetic smile. "I wish there was something I could say or do to help, but I know there is little that can be done. I never meant for any of this to happen. I wish we could have met under better circumstances."

Arya looked to the woman who had become her sister. She seemed kind, with her soft spoken words, and gentle manner. She could understand why Robb might have fallen in love with her. Arya doubted she could have hated her even if she tried. Given enough time they might even become friends, but right now she didn't particularly care for a friend. Especially one who had played so big a part in Arya's ultimate fate. "Forgive me, my Queen, but I just wish to be alone."

"Of course." Talisa could hear the misery in Arya's voice. "If you need anything. Anything at all, please come find me." With that she slipped out of the tent to give Arya the space she so desperately craved.

**Individual Thanks to the Reviewers:**

To Jaz- I know what you mean about Yara. I'm always calling her Asha in my mind too. It drives my friends nuts when we're talking about the show and I say Asha instead of Yara. I figured I should use the show names instead of the book names (even though I do use a lot of elements from the books) because I published the story under Game of Throne and not the book series.

To My French speaking reviewer- Ramsay and Yara will both be important later on in the story, I hope their fates will be to your liking. I hope you enjoyed the Robb/Arya interaction in this chapter too.

To Jean d'arc-The wedding will happen next chapter, don't really want to say which way it's going to go…

To Andi- Originally I was going to have Gendry in this fic, but as it started to evolve, I wasn't sure if I could have him in it. So as of right now, I'm not sure. If I don't, I have started another outline for another story that he will definitely be in.

Suzy87- I agree Robb is stupid. He needed to be punched in the face. (Even though I love him)

Tayla Writes- Thank you so much! I've always thought that Theon had the potential to be awesome.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author Note:** Once again thanks for reading everyone.

**Chapter 16**

On the morning of her Uncle Edmure's wedding Arya was still in a foul mood. In a few short hours Robb would give Walder Frey his formal apology and Arya would be presented to her betrothed. She was even dressed for the part. Gone were the trousers and comfortable shirts she preferred. Her mother had decided that she would resume wearing the skirts of a proper lady. Thankfully she was able to wear a dress of a simpler Northern style along with a cloak that had been trimmed with fur. She felt clumsy in it, she just wasn't used to all the extra fabric. The clothing was just another reason for her to remain in a foul mood.

It seemed most people had enough sense to leave her alone. Her mother had only came to visit her once to see if she needed help getting ready, Arya of course promptly turned down the offer. After that, Catelyn must have told people to stay away and she was left alone for a good portion of the morning. Arya had even skipped her morning and midday meals with her family. She just didn't want to be around other people. She felt like she had to mentally prepare herself for the coming afternoon, and being around others would only serve as a distraction.

So of course, she found herself alone in her tent with her back to the entrance, as she was wrapping her Needle in a course cloth. She knew that she would never be allowed to wear it with her dress. For now she would store it in one of the trunks she had brought with her from Winterfell, hidden beneath some of her other clothing. She supposed her things would be moved to wherever Walder Frey would stash her after this evening. When she was done hiding her sword she straightened up and placed her hands on her hips. It felt strange not to have Needle's reassuring weight there.

Suddenly she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist and she almost cried out before she heard Theon's familiar voice whisper in her hear. "Shh, it's just me." He said as he pulled her back against against him in an tight embrace.

"You really shouldn't be here." Despite saying this she felt herself relax against him, for the first time letting her guard down since they had arrived in Robb's camp. She had been trying to ween herself from craving his touch. He hadn't held her since they left Winterfell. And now here he was, reminding her what it felt like to be near him. How was she supposed to give him up?

"Relax," was his response. "I made sure no one saw me slip in here. Everyone seems to be avoiding you and your tent, it was easy."

"Not that I'm complaining," she said as she turned around in his arms and looked up at him. "But why did you come?"

"You weren't at the mid day meal with your family." He moved only one hand to reach into one of the folds of his cloak and pulled out an apple to present to her. "I thought you might be hungry."

Reluctantly she slipped out of his embrace and took the apple. "Thank you." She wasn't really hungry, but she took a bite of the apple. She rightly assumed that Theon was worried about her not eating, so she made an effort to put his mind at ease. He probably thought she needed to keep her strength up. Once her mouth was empty, she asked, "you ate with Robb and my mother."

He nodded his head, "yes, and with Queen Talisa too." He let his eyes take in her the dress and cloak she wore. He could admit that she did look lovely, a proper lady for a proper lord. And he hated it. It wasn't her. "I see your mother dressed you today."

"I have to look presentable for the Frey's" She shrugged as if it didn't matter much to her. "How did that go, the meal I mean?" She absentmindedly took another bite of the apple, looking at him expectantly.

"It went fine." He said. "Sure it was a little tense at times, but I guess that's to be expected. I was actually hoping I would find you there. That was the only reason I accepted the invitation to dine with your brother. I had wanted to talk to you last night but I had figured you'd want to be alone after that confrontation with your brother."

"You guessed right." She said carefully. She had a feeling she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. She turned away from him, setting the partially eaten apple on the small table next to her cot. She fidgeted nervously, she needed something to do with her hands, her eyes flitted around looking for something she could pick up. They landed on a brush she had discarded on the table earlier Absentmindedly, she picked it up and started to run the brush through her hair. Her hair didn't need to be brushed again, but it gave her something to do, something that would take her focus away from Theon. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

He noticed her anxiety and stepped closer to her so that he stood just behind her, he reached for the brush, took it from her hands and then set it back down on the table. "You know exactly what I want to talk to you about." He said gently, into her ear. "Please look at me, Arya." He waited until she turned and then looked up at him. "What you said to Robb, did you mean it?"

"You know I did." She answered him simply. "You shouldn't even have ask that." She looked down again, and started to move herself further away from him. It felt dangerous to be this close to him right now, talking about how she felt.

His hand shot out to grab her waist before she could get too far, and he pulled her back to him. He used his other hand to lightly lift her chin so she had to look at them again. "Say it again." It was a quiet demand.

For a moment she said nothing. A flash of bewilderment crosses her features followed by what he could only assume was hurt. "Why would you ask me to do this? It changes nothing." There was a bittersweet tone to her voice.

"I just want to hear you say it." He could hear that his voice sounded the same as hers. "Just once, where you say it just to me, with no one else to hear."

"Alright," She thought maybe she understood why he wanted it. She had a feeling that deep down she wanted to hear the same words from him, even though she knew it would hurt. She raised her hands and took hold of his cloak, grasping it tightly with her fists as she looked up at him at him intently. "I love you."

He let a small smile touch his lips, but never reached his eyes. "I love you too, Arya Stark." With that said, he leaned down and touched his lips to hers very gently, but he let the kiss linger and she didn't resist. It had just occurred to her what this was all about for him.

Once they ended the kiss, she didn't let go of his cloak, as if she was the only thing keeping him there. "This is you saying good bye to me, isn't it?"

He looked down at her and nodded his head. "You might not be the one getting married today, but if from what your brother is assuming, you'll be moved into the Twins after the wedding. So you can start preparing for your own impending marriage. I'll be staying with the army. We probably won't have an opportunity to be alone together after this. I have a feeling Robb will be marching soon and I'll be going with him. And after we finish whatever campaign he has planned, we'll come back here for your wedding." That left a sour taste in his mouth.

"I wish I didn't have to think about any of this right now." She frowned up at him. "I wish you didn't have to say good bye. I wish you didn't have to go off with Robb to fight some stupid battle that probably won't even solve anything. Why can't he just offer Sansa for Jaime? Why can't he just offer to bend the knee to Joffery and we can all go home, he never wanted to be king anyway."

"If only it was that easy Little Wolf." He offered her an amused smile as he pulled away from her and she let go of his cloak. "For one, it seems your brother has lost Jaime Lannister, even before he came here. Well, more like your mother helped him escape."

"Is my mother crazy?" Exclaimed Arya.

"I don't know, maybe a little." Theon answered. "The Kingslayer had tried to escape before and killed one of Lord Karstark's sons. Karstark wanted vengeance after the Kingslayer was recaptured. I think your mother was worried that if somehow Karstark got his wish and Jaime was killed, that would give leave for the crown to kill your sister. So she let him go…sort of. She ordered Brienne of Tarth, who swore to serve your mother, to take him to King's Landing in the hopes that they could make a prisoner swap."

"How did you find all this out?" Arya asked incredulously.

"It came up at the midday meal," he said with a smirk. "The one you chose not to go to, because you stubbornly wanted to stay away from your brother and mother."

She shot him a glare, "shut up."

He chuckled a little and leaned forward to give her a light kiss on her forehead. "Come on, I'll take you to your brother. I think it's almost time to go meet Walder Frey."

—

They made it easily to where her brother was assembling the party that would be entering the Twins with him. It seemed several of his most loyal men were to be present. Lord Frey had requested that Robb make his apology and admit his wrong doing publicly, in front of those who followed the King in the North. Arya and Theon were given brief introductions to those they had never met before, most notably Arya's Uncle Edmure Tully and her mother's uncle Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully.

While Theon managed to stay at Arya's side, he choose not to engage her in conversation. Her Uncle Edmure however managed to place himself at her other side and he was not shy when it came to conversation. He had concluded that since they were to have the same fate of marrying a Frey, that the should be allies over the next few hours. Arya was happy to have someone else in which to commiserate with, but mostly she just let Edmure air his complaints to her. At least it kept her from having to speak to anyone else.

"Stop complaining to the girl," rumbled the Blackfish as he came up to where the three of them stood. "She's handling the situation better then you are and I'd say she has a lot more to complain about than you do." Edmure looked like he wanted to protest, but once he saw his Uncle's expression, he wisely shut his mouth. Once he was certain of Edmure's silence, he looked to Arya, "I'm to ask about your wolf. I haven't seen one around camp except for Grey Wind, did you bring her with?"

"I brought Nymeria," Arya confirmed. "But she went out hunting yesterday and hasn't come back yet. I get the feeling there's too many people here to her liking. She's probably keeping to herself outside the camp. She'll come back to me eventually. Why?"

"Lord Frey doesn't feel comfortable with the wolves within the confines of his home. He's asked us to lock them in the kennels, at least while we're enjoying his hospitality at the wedding." Brynden said.

Arya turned her attention to where her brother stood with his wolf, and who she assumed to be the Twin's kennel master. She could hear Grey Wind's low growl from where she stood. It seemed like the wolf was not happy with the arrangement at all. She saw Robb talk quietly to Grey Wind, she guessed he was attempting to calm the animal down. What he said seemed to work as the wolf willingly walked off with the kennel master. She then looked to Brynden, "my brother can tell Lord Frey that once Nymeria shows herself again, I'll bring her to the kennels myself."

"That'll have to do." Brynden shrugged as if it made no difference to him. "We'll be starting in soon. Best be on your best behavior." He looked pointedly at Edmure, and with that said he walked back to Robb.

"That man, my Uncle, hates me." Edmure commented as if he just stated that the sky was blue. "Come, my dear niece, let me escort you inside so that we can see what, or rather who, awaits us. I'd just as soon get this over with."

Arya took her uncle's offered arm and then looked over to Theon. She gave him a look that seemed to ask if he would be okay if she went in with Edmure. He gave her a small, tight smile and nodded his head. He mouthed the words, _I'll be right behind you._ She gave him a small smile to let him know that she understood, then allowed Edmure to lead her on.

When they entered the hall in which Lord Frey would be receiving them, they were each to take a bit of bread and salt as part of the guest right. Arya listened as Walder said the correct ceremonial words that would promise Robb and anyone in his party safety while under his roof. She fidgeted a little, she always found formalities tedious. And the next formality wasn't going to be much better as she realized Robb was about to extend his apologies for breaking the marriage contract.

Theon must have noticed her restlessness, because he moved closer to her. His left hand was down by his side, the same as her right hand was at her side. Subtly he let the back of his hand brush against the back of hers. A gesture that let her know he was just as uncomfortable as she was. A faint smile tugged at her lips when she felt his touch, it was amazing what a small gesture from him could do for her nerves. _Gods she was going to miss him._ She crushed that thought as soon as it entered her mind, she couldn't think about that right now.

Arya brought her attention back to the drama that was playing out before her. Apparently Robb apologizing to Walder Frey wasn't enough. The petty lord was now parading his daughters and a few of his granddaughters before everyone so that her brother could apologize to them as well. Arya watched intently as each girl entered. There were certainly a lot of them. She leaned slightly toward Edumre and whispered very quietly, "just think Uncle, one of those beauties is going to be your wife."

Theon must have heard what she said, because he let out a small cough to hide the laugh that had threatened to escape his lips. Arya had to press her lips tightly together to keep from laughing too. Edmure looked a little worried at the thought that one of those women could be the Roslin Frey, who he would be marrying soon.

After a few seconds of pretending to listen to Robb's _heartfelt_ apologies to the females of the Frey family, Edmure leaned down slightly and lightly whispered to Arya, "well if those are the Frey women, imagine how the men of the family look, my dear, sweet Niece." He said pointedly looking in Walder Frey's direction.

That was enough to sober her up, instead of replying she simply glared ahead, pretending to pay attention to Robb's little speech, which actually seemed to be coming to a close. However once Robb was done talking it seemed that Walder was not yet done with him. Instead the old man had Talisa step forward, so that he could examine the woman who had made Robb forget his promise. After had gotten a good look the Queen, Walder Frey continued to make inappropriate comments about her brother's wife. Ayra had been standing behind her brother and from her vantage point she could tell that by his stance he was livid. Their mother even had to put a hand on his arm to keep him from doing anything rash.

Arya muttered under her breath, "this is a nightmare," just as Walder had finished with Talisa.

"Now, where is this sister of yours, the one who is to marry my youngest son?" Walder asked, as his eyes peered through the crowd that had gathered in his hall. His eyes rested on Arya and he bid her to come forward. "You, are you the girl? Come let's get a good look at you."

Arya looked, first at her brother, who moved out of her way and turned, so that his eyes locked with hers. She gave him a pleading look, that asked him to try and get her out of this. But she knew there was nothing he could do, and he just nodded her forward, his eyes full of remorse. Her heart thumped with something she wasn't ready to call fear, but she was nervous that she would be put under the same scrutiny as Robb's wife. Her eyes moved to her mother who could only give her a small, encouraging smile.

"Come on girl, we haven't got all day." Walder said impatiently.

For a second she wondered what would happe, if she choose not to walk forward so that he could inspect her. But then she felt the light weight Thoen's hand on the small of her back, coaxing her forward. He took a few steps with her, but stopped before left the confines of the small crowd they had stood in. "I'm right here Little Wolf," He murmured as she moved past him to bring herself closer to their host. With those words she seemed to regain a little confidence and was able to look up at Walder with as much defiance as she dared.

Robb stepped closer to Theon, to close the gap that Arya had left. He didn't bother to look at his friend, but he did whisper quietly to him, "just remember to stay calm."

"You're a small little thing," Walder finally said after appraising Arya for a few moments, "aren't you?"

"I suppose so, my Lord." Arya managed to say with some degree of curtesy.

"You definitely have the Stark look to you," Walder continued without so much as acknowledging that she had said anything. "Although that's not necessarily a bad thing, you have a look to you that some men might consider appealing."

"Thank you, my Lord." This time she didn't even try to sound polite, it came out harsh and sarcastic.

This seemed to amuse Lord Frey, and he even chuckled a little. "I see the stories about your wildness are true. No matter, I'm sure Elmar can put up with it, until you learn some respect."

Arya balled her hands up into tight fists, she could feel her nails digging into her palms. She was trying very hard not let her temper get the better of her. Her mother must have seen that she was very close to loosing the battle to remain calm. Catelyn quickly stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Arya's arm. "Lord Frey, perhaps now would be a good time to introduce Arya to her intended."

"Ah, yes, of course," Walder waved over to a group, of what Arya assumed, were some of the man's sons.

While he did this, Catelyn leaned in to whisper lightly in her daughter's ear, "you're doing fine, Arya. Just stay calm a little longer. He's doing this more as an insult to your brother, then to you. He knows that Robb needs him and that your brother has to endure all the petty insults he can throw his way. Even at your expense. It won't always be this miserable."

Arya simply nodded her head once to show that she understood. She watched as a boy about her own age came forward at the behest of Walder. He was a plain looking boy. Nothing about him stood out, form his drab brown hair to his drab brown eyes.

"Lady Arya, allow me to introduce you my son Elmar." Walder allowed himself to have a satisfied smile come to his lips.

The boy bowed slightly at the waist in greeting. "It is an honor, my lady." He said, from the expression on his face, Arya could tell that he wasn't too thrilled about the arrangement either.

However, Arya couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for him. Instead there was still a fair amount of anger and hate swirling around within her. She allowed herself to give him a shallow curtsy in response to his bow, but she spoke no words of greeting. She just gave him a cold glance of her grey eyes, before dismissing him altogether to glare back up at his father.

Robb watched the whole exchange, and if he was honest with himself, it had gone a lot smoother then he thought it would be. Again he whispered out of the side of his mouth to Theon, "are you okay?"

The first time Theon saw the Frey boy, there was a stab of jealousy that pierced his heart. He quickly fought the feeling away. Arya it seemed wasn't impressed with him, if the cold response she had given the boy was any indiction. That did not surprise him. "I actually feel bad for the boy." He whispered back, trying to sound calmer then he felt. "She's going to make his life miserable."

—

A couple of hours after the initial meeting, Edmure and Roslin's wedding ceremony took place. Much to her Uncle's delight, it turned out that Roslin had not been included in the parade of Frey girls earlier that day. Roslin proved to be quite the beauty. Everyone seemed to be amused by Edmure's reaction when he had lifted the veil to take that first look upon his bride, it had been a mixture of surprise and awe.

The feast afterwards was a rowdy affair. Walder, it seemed, had spared no expense when it came to preparing the food and he had allowed the wine and ale to flow freely. Everyone, it seemed ,was enjoying themselves immensely. Everyone except for Thoen, Arya and maybe Elmar. The boy had tried several times to talk with Arya in the hopes of breaking the ice into a tentative friendship before they got married. She spurned every advance he tried, before he gave up and sauntered off to find more friendly company.

The moment Elmar left her side, Theon came and sat down next to her. "Well, he seemed relentless." Was all he said. "What did you two talk about?"

"I can't believe my brother is leaving me with these people," was all she replied with. "That boy was a complete bore. He went on and on about his older brothers and the rest of his family. I think maybe he also tried to discuss the finer points of the Twins with me, but eventually I tuned him out. Thank the gods he got the message and left."

"You know you're not going to be able to dismiss him that easily once you're married." Theon said darkly.

"Yes, I know," she said, trying to sound flippant. "I'm sure he'll have to teach me some manners."

Theon scowled at that, but said nothing, he didn't like thinking about what Lord Frey had meant when he said Arya would learn some respect. He was sure it had meant nothing good, he knew that plenty of men thought cruelty was a way to _tame_ a difficult woman. And Arya was headstrong enough to fight them every step of the way, making it harder on herself. Maybe Elmar would only be a boring husband, not a cruel one. His attention turned to Elmar, who had found more suitable company with several boys his own age. He was carrying on and laughing as if he hadn't been shunned by the girl he was supposed to marry. The first thought to enter Theon's mind when he looked at the boy was that if he ever found out he hurt Arya, he would kill him. Of that he had no doubt.

Arya and Theon must have caught Lady Catelyn's attention, because she easily made her way through the crowd to the table that they sat at. She sat down next to Arya and looked at Theon, "do you mind if I have a word with my daughter Theon?" Her voice was kind and maybe a little regretful for asking him to leave her daughter's side.

"Of course, my lady." He was his reluctant response. He stood up slowly, "I could use some air anyway." He looked to Arya, Catelyn could see the longing in his eyes when they were focused on her daughter. He rested a hand on Arya's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. "Good night." He told her quietly. "And to you too, my lady." He said politely to Catelyn and then walked off quickly before either of them could respond.

Arya brought her attention to her mother. "Well, you managed to scare him off."

"I didn't scare him off Arya." Catelyn sounded tired. "I just reminded him that the two of you sitting alone together isn't exactly a good idea, especially within the house of the man who is going to be your father-in-law. Some might even think it disrespectful."

Arya felt the frown she had worn most of the night deepen. "I grew up with him. He's, he's like family." She stumbled a little over those words. "We were doing nothing wrong."

"You're not just family, Arya." Catelyn said quietly, "anyone with eyes who's watching closely enough, will see that the two of you love each other. You have to be careful, even if you weren't doing anything wrong, someone might jump to conclusions. This agreement your brother has with Lord Frey is tentative. It could all come crashing down if he gets the wrong idea. Lord Frey is fickle and he's already been hurt by our family once. Who knows how he would react if he thought anything improper happened between you and Theon."

"I understand, Mother." Was Arya's unhappy reply. "I'll be careful."

Catelyn rested a hand on top of her daughter's. "I know it's unfair to put this all on your shoulders. I wish I could keep you from having to go through with this."

"But you can't," Arya let a small sigh escape her lungs. "Don't worry mother, I've accepted my fate. I'll survive. I'm a Stark, I'll do what I'm honor bound to do, even if I do it reluctantly."

Catelyn squeezed her daughter's hand, "I'm proud of you Arya."

Arya looked at her mother, with a small amount of surprise, those were words she never thought her mother would say to her. She managed to give Catelyn a small smile. "I suppose there is a first time for everything."

"It's not the first time." Cat said with a gentle reassurance.

Arya's first instinct was to reply with humor, she wasn't used to being praised by her mother and it made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Instead she studied her mother seriously, almost as if she was looking for some sign that her mother was lying. Arya could find none. Suddenly she leaned over to her mother and gave her a hug. "Thank you, Mother." She said just above a whisper. There was still a part of her that was angry with her mother for her part in the Frey deal, but at this moment she was willing to look past it.

Catelyn had been taken aback by Arya's show of affection, but accepted it almost greedily. When she reluctantly pulled away from her daughter she noticed Elmar Frey looking their way. He seemed to have a determination in his eye, as his gaze settled upon Arya. Cat had a feeling he was going to once again try his luck at engaging her daughter in a conversation. And she knew her daughter wasn't ready for that, at least not tonight. So tonight she would play the protective mother. "Arya, perhaps you would like to get some fresh air too." She nodded her head towards Elmar.

Arya looked casually to where her mother had gestured and saw that Elmar had indeed started to make his way towards them. She quickly brought her attention back to her mother. "Yes I think that's a wonderful idea." She said gratefully. She stood up quickly and leaned down to give her mother a kiss on the cheek. "Good night mother, I'll talk to you in the morning." She didn't wait for her mother to respond, she quickly turned and fled for the doors that led out of the great hall.

Once she was out in the crisp night air she let out a sigh of relief that she had managed to escape another boring conversation. There were still people milling around outside the building, it appeared that the wedding festivities had spilled outdoors as well. She wondered if there was any place for her to have a private moment. She had no idea if Lord Frey had had a room prepared for her and even if he did she had no idea where it might be, so there was no solace offered in that.

She supposed she could make her way back to the tent she had slept in the night before. It would be away from where most of the feasting tents that had been set up for the occasion. And while it was certain that there would be people walking about throughout the camp, it would be a lot quieter then where she stood now. The fact that she didn't know her way around the camp all that well, and that it was dark didn't phase her at all. She just calmly started in the direction that she had come from earlier that day.

—

While Arya had been talking with her mother, Theon had managed to find his own quiet place that was outside. He of course wasn't completely alone, but he found a place near the kennels. It seemed that even when Grey Wind was locked up, he made people nervous. The only men who seemed to comfortable around the caged animal were some of Robb Stark's own men, who were used to the wolf, and the kennel master.

Theon sat upon a wooden crate that had been placed near the cage that held Grey Wind. He watched as the Stark men drank and joked with the kennel master. They were so busy in their own merriment that they didn't seem to notice him sitting there at all, which he was fine with. It gave him the illusion of being alone and he had a feeling they would offer him drink if they had noticed him and he might have accepted in spite of himself. He thought drinking might have helped to dull the ache in his heart every time he thought about Arya and what awaited her in the future. But he also knew he needed to keep his wits about him, or he might do something stupid in the hopes of keeping her from having to live that future. So he wanted to stay away from the ale and wine that Walder Frey had been so generous in giving to everyone.

As the minutes passed, he watched as the Stark men became especially rowdy. Theon said lowly to the wolf in the cage he sat next to, "Your master's men are acting like fools. Suppose I can't blame them though, they don't know the next time they're going to have a chance to celebrate anything." He smiled a little when he heard Grey Wind whine, "oh don't worry, the last time I saw Robb, he wasn't drinking enough for him to act stupid. Besides he doesn't need the alcohol to make him do something dumb."

Grey Wind whined again, this time a little louder, and Theon realized it had nothing to do with what he said. Something seemed to change around him, as if the air around him seemed to grow a little tenser. He wasn't quite sure what made him aware of the change. He looked around quickly, but no one else seemed to think anything was wrong, they just continued on with their talking and laughing. And then he locked eyes with Walder Frey's kennel master. The man looked completely sober, despite the fact that he had seemingly drank just as much as the Stark men. With that observation, other things started to dawn on Theon Greyjoy. The music coming from the keep had changed. Gone were the traditional songs that were played at weddings and in it's place a sad almost mournful song. Theon hadn't been sure what it was, but the music played with his memory, like he knew what it was, but couldn't quite place it.

Just as Theon was staring to puzzle things out, the kennel master who he was still looking at, called out to him, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. "You're Theon Greyjoy, right? Close friend to the King In the North. Come let me pour you a drink!"

"No, I'm good, thanks." Theon answered him carefully. After he had spoken the words, another moment of clarity came to him. The song had continued to play and he had finally recognized it. _The Rains of Castamere. Why in the seven hells were they playing a Lannister song at a wedding that Robb Stark had been attending? _He slowly started to stand up. A small group of men, men that Theon could tells were Frey men, had started to walk into the area that held the kennels. They tried to appear casual as they started to mingle with the Stark men, but their hands were on their weapons. The Stark men still noticed nothing, too drunk and too lulled into a false sense of security.

The kennel master still seemed to be intent on him as he took a few steps closer to where Theon stood. He must have sensed that Theon had started to figure out that things were about to go very poorly for the men who were loyal to the Stark banner. The kennel master started to reach for his sword, and quietly said to him, "we were told that if we saw you, we were to try to take you alive, m'lord. You have no armor, no weapons, please don't be stupid." As he said this he drew his sword, and so did the rest of the Frey men.

That was when the Stark men knew that something was wrong. They tried to defend themselves, but it was too late and the drink had made them too slow. Theon watched in helpless horror as the men were cut down with a cool efficiency.

"Well?" The kennel master asked Theon hadn't answered. "Are you going to come with me peacefully?"

In the second it took for Theon to look from the carnage of the dead Stark men, back to the kennel master a steel resolve must have come over him. It was true that he had no armor or weapons, but that did not mean he didn't have a way of fighting back. "I don't think I will," he answered. Before the kennel master had time to reply, Theon reached for the kennel's latch and yanked it down so that it would open.

Grey Wind must have been waiting for that moment because as soon as he had sensed that the door had been unlocked, he pushed his way through it and jumped at the kennel master, knocking him off of his feet. The sword the man had held clattered to the ground. The Frey men who had just partook in the murder of Robb's men, all cried out in alarm as they watched the dire wolf tear the kennel master's arm from it's socket. Theon paid no attention, as the wolf started after the next nearest Frey man, he quickly reached for the kennel master's sword. The man would have no use for it now, and at least Theon would now be armed. His one thought was to try to get to Robb, to warn him, never stopping to realize that it had already been to late.

After Grey Wind and Theon dispatched the rest of the Frey butchers in that area, Grey Wind started to lead them towards the gates that would lead them back to main entrance of the hall. The wolf seemed to know exactly where his master was. Theon followed behind, at a bit of a distance, knowing that the Frey men would consider the wolf a bigger threat then one lone man. He hoped that if he stayed far enough behind he could spot anyone that might give Grey Wind some trouble and he would be able to help fight off anyone who might try to harm the wolf. They came across surprisingly little resistance before they reached the gates. But from the screams and shouting that rang out around them, he knew that the Frey men were busy elsewhere. He also couldn't help but wonder if the lack of chaos surrounding them meant that Frey's betrayal had been completely successful.

When Grey Wind finally reached the gates, Theon noticed that there had been several guards stationed there, no doubt to make sure that no loyal Northmen would try to storm the gates to save their King. Grey Wind didn't hesitate to go in for the kill, he hadn't even stopped to think about which guard he would kill first, he simply worked on instinct. Theon however, did not have that luxury. He stayed back a moment, contemplating his next move. Thankfully the Frey men's attention seemed to be focused on the wolf, but Theon knew that eventually the wolf would be over powered if he didn't act soon.

Theon's indecision only lasted seconds before he was spurred into action. One of the guards had raised a crossbow and was aiming it at Grey Wind. Theon quickly moved into a place where he could slash at the Frey guard's wrists with his sword, forcing him to drop the cross bow. Theon then proceeded to stab the guard through the neck. The moments that followed after that were a blur of Theon swinging the sword he wielded and Grey Wind snapping and biting at the guards. He knew they must have killed or injured most of them, but not without a cost. Theon felt blood dripping from a cut that he must have gotten above his his left eye. There was a searing pain at the back of his left shoulder from where a Frey man had slashed at his back. Grey Wind had a cross bow bolt sticking out of his side.

Neither of them seemed to care for their injuries, they were solely focused on winning the battle. Which at the moment had turned against them. Theon had misstepped as he was parrying a vicious sword swipe from a guard and managed to fall backwards, loosing his sword in the process. Grey Wind had been too busy taking care of his own man to realized that Theon had been in trouble. The guard sensing that his own victory was in sight he let out a low chuckle as he raised his sword to finish Theon off.

Just before the guard was about to deliver the finishing blow, an arrow lodged in his chest. The guard looked down, he looked surprised to see the arrow was there, and even more surprised when another arrow joined the first one. The guard dropped the sword and fell to his knees as Theon lifted himself and his sword off the ground. Theon, not about to waste the opportunity, lifted his sword and jammed it into the guards heart. And all of the sudden everything seemed to be still. The skirmish seemed to be over.

Theon breathed heavily as he turned around to see a boy, not too much older then himself walk up to him carrying a bow, with a quiver of arrows attached to his back. He must have been the person who had come to his aide. Grey Wind didn't seem phased by the stranger, and that was good enough for Theon to trust him. At least for them moment. "Thank you."

The boy nodded at him, and then Theon looked to the gates. "We have to get in." He watched as Grey Wind pawed at them, growling lowly in frustration that he couldn't reach his master.

"They're barred," the boy said simply, even as Theon went over to the gates, pushing at them uselessly, "we'll never get in. We have to go, there will be more men coming."

"You don't understand," Theon forced the words out in frustration. "Robb is in there, I have to warn him."

"It's too late for that." There was a note of anxiety in the stranger's voice now. "We have to go my lord." He grabbed Theon's arm, trying to physically pull him away from the gates. "It is not safe here."

Theon yanked his arm away from the boy. "I left Arya in there." He practically spit out. "I left her and her mother in there." It was the first time since he had figured out what was going on, that he allowed himself to think of _her. _ He must have known that if he allowed his mind to think of her, he would have been distracted with worry. But now that it seemed he would not be able to reach her, she was all he could think about.

"Arya Stark?" The boy asked.

"Yes, I told her I would be there for her. I'm not leaving her here."

The boy grabbed Theon's arm again, "look you don't know if she was in there, she might have gotten out. Even if she didn't, they wouldn't dare kill her. She's too valuable." The boy could hear a commotion in the background, he had no doubt more men were on their way, "but right now you need to leave. If you get yourself killed, you can't do anything to help her."

Theon must have heard the men coming too. Because he looked helplessly at the gates, then to Grey Wind who still pawed scratched at the surface. Then Theon felt the stranger starting to pull him away and he seemed to wake up. He knew that what the boy had spoken was the truth. He was no good to anyone dead. He turned to follow the boy away from the gates.

Once they were at a semi safe distance away, Theon stopped abruptly and turned back to see if Grey Wind was following him. The wolf had stayed behind, he was so intent on reaching Robb, that he hadn't noticed that Theon had left him there. Theon was just about to call for Grey Wind to come to him, when he saw two more bolts fly into the wolf. Theon watched in disbelief as he saw his friend's wolf drop to the ground. Theon moved as if he wanted to go back and help the wolf.

The boy who Theon was fleeing with had stopped too and he grabbed Theon's arm before he could make such a reckless move, "you can't do anything for him."

Not taking his eyes from the, now dying, wolf, Theon simply nodded his head to show the boy that he understood. He lifted his gaze to look at the tower of the Twins that stood before him. His heart felt like lead as he realized he might have lost everything that he had held dear in just one night. The last thought he had before he fled with the boy who had saved his life was a silent plea to any of the gods who would listen. _Please let her be okay._

**Author's note: **I'm sorry! I know some of you were hoping that the Red Wedding might have had a different outcome, please don't hate me.

To DanielleBurkex3: I was hoping I was able to express Arya's feelings correctly.

To My French Speaking Reviewer: Thank you for your kind words. I really hope I don't disappoint you too much with this chapter. I know you were one of the people who hoped the Red Wedding would turn out differently.

To Jean d'arc: Thank you! I agree, Robb is responsible for what happened.

To Andi: The Red Wedding will definitely put an end to Arya having to marry Elmar. But now there's other problems…

To my anon. Guest.: Thank you so much!


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Once again thanks for reading!

**Chapter 17**

Arya had been in her tent when the screaming started. She had been there for about ten minutes, sitting on her cot, lost in thoughts involving her family and Theon and the unfairness of what her life was going to be, when she was shaken from her thoughts by men crying out in panic and pain. At first she wasn't sure of what she had heard, then more cries followed the first ones. She shot up from the cot and stormed over to the opening of her tent, pushing open the flaps so she could peer out, but making no move to actually leave until she could figure out what was going on.

What she saw was chaos in the distance, in the direction of where the feasting tents had been set up. It seemed that several of them had caught on fire. She could see men running from the flames. She was about to step out of the tent, ready to go see if they needed help when another round of shouting caught her attention. This time it was from a crowd of men, well away from where the fire was and much closer to where she was now. What she saw made her blood run cold.

Arya saw a group of men, some of which held shields that had the Bolton's flayed man etched upon them, cut down another group of men, only these men had been seated under a Stark banner. The Stark men had clearly been drunk and slow to respond, which made it all the easier for the Bolton men to slaughter them. Arya nearly cried out in horror as she realized what was going on. Thinking quickly she clapped a hand to her mouth, so any noise she made wouldn't be heard. She let the tent flaps fall closed. No one knew she was here, she needed to make sure it stayed that way for a few seconds while she collected her thoughts.

She had just witnessed one of Robb's banner men betray him. She now knew that the fires she had seen were probably deliberately set. How many men had been caught within those tents when they were sent up in flames. She shuddered in horror as she realized that those running away from the fire were probably cut down as well. She could hear the sounds of fighting getting closer outside her tent. She needed to leave, she needed to find Robb and her mother. She needed to find Theon. _Gods, were they okay_? Was the same betrayal that was going on out here happening within the Twins, too. That's when the thought struck her that maybe Bolton wasn't the only one to betray her brother. What if Walder Frey had been in on it too, they were on his lands after all? That would mean that anyone left with in the keep's walls might be in danger too.

That spurred her into action. She crossed over to the trunk she had been packing earlier that day. She had thought it would have been removed to the room she was to occupy at the Twins, but it made sense why it would still be here if Walder Frey had betrayed them. She wouldn't have been a guest, at best she would have been a hostage, so it wouldn't have mattered if she had her things with her. At least it worked to her advantage in this instance. She threw the trunk open and tossed aside the useless clothing, anxious to find her Needle. It did not take her long to find the cloth she had stored it in, and only seconds for her to unwrap her sword.

Once it was in her hand she felt a little more calm. She wasn't stupid enough to think hat she was safe, but it gave her some sense of being in control. She knew that there was an army of men, half friend, half foe between her and those she loved, it seemed foolish for her to try at make it back to the keep. But she couldn't think of anything else to do, so she took a deep breath and pushed her way out of the tent. Only to come into contact with the armored body of a Bolton man.

He looked down at Arya clearly amused, "well, if it isn't the little wolf bitch. I'm sure Lord Bolton will be happy to hear that I found you."

He must not have noticed Needle in Arya's hand, because just as he made a grab for her she brought the sword up in an attempt to stab the soldier's abdomen. Much to her dismay and surprise, nothing happened, Needle barely scratched the surface of the man's armor. The man of course laughed at her and knocked the sword from her hand. She glared up at him as he reached for her again. She was about ready to fight him tooth and nail with her bare hands if need be, when a heavy weight hit him from the side.

Arya cried out in alarm when the knight fell down and grabbed on to her skirts managing to bring her down to the ground as well. She was about to get up and take the opportunity to run, when she saw what it was that had hit the Bolton man, thus saving her in the process. Arya watched as the wolf teared at the man's armor, trying to get to his flesh. Nymeria had found her master. Arya picked up her sword, ready to help, but she realized the wolf did not need it. Nymeria had found her way to the man's throat, it wouldn't be long before he died.

However, he had only been one man, and Arya knew that more would be coming. They needed to leave, and they needed to do so quickly. She took her first steps towards the keep, but Nymeria growled at her, as if to warn her from going that way. Then the wolf made the obvious move of turning away from the keep, and starting towards the outskirts of the camp. Clearly Nymeria wanted her to go that way, towards safety. Arya hesitated for only a moment. Those who mattered most to her were in the opposite direction of where Nymeria wanted to go. She looked down at Needle, it had done nothing against a fully armored man. She had been fooling herself to think she could fight her way towards those she loved. Sure she could take on a man who didn't wear armor or she might get luck to hit a weak spot in someone's armor, but she couldn't take on a grown man in a fight. Nymeria wouldn't be able to take on everyone they would come across. She looked at her wolf one more time, then back at the Twins. She really had no choice. She would have to leave Robb, her mother, and _Theon _behind. She was only one girl, one girl who could do nothing to save those she cared about.

All of these thoughts occurred to her within a few seconds. Nymeria growled again to get her attention, to remind her that they had to leave. Despite knowing what she had to do, she was still reluctant to leave. It felt wrong to save herself. Nymeria seemed to understand that she was still having second thoughts, so the wolf gathered up some of Arya's skirt in her teeth and tugged.

"Okay," Arya said tonelessly she could feel herself going numb, trying to make herself not feel the pain and panic of leaving her family behind. "I'm coming." And with that she let Nymeria lead her in the opposite direction that her heart wanted to go.

They weren't avoiding the danger completely, just staying away from the center of it. They tried to stay hidden most of the time, dodging from the shadow of one tent to another. They still managed to come across a few men who seemed intent on stopping them. Having a wolf near her was a dead give away that she was a Stark. Anyone who was brave enough to approach Arya and Nymeria soon found themselves fighting off a very angry dire wolf. Arya at one point was forced to fight off a couple of men. Neither of them wore the heavy armor the first man had and she was able to get in a few slices that must have broke skin. Because They didn't gave chase when Arya and Nymeria ran and Arya had noticed that Needle was a little bit bloodied.

They didn't stop when they reached the camp's perimeter. She realized that she had only escaped because the mass confusion that resulted from the massacre. She was sure that someone, whether it be Bolton or Frey, would notice her absence or the lack of her body once things had calmed down. Arya knew they wouldn't be safe until the found some sort of cover. Nymeria seemed to know where to go, and Arya trusted in her guidance. Even as the camp grew distant, the light from the fires, although dim, let her see where she was going.

Eventually, as the light from the camp was starting to fade, Arya found that Nymeria had taken her to a wooded area that, in the dark seemed to be large enough to hide her. At least for a little while, she was getting tired, she needed to rest. She stopped just before entering he tree line, knowing that it would be darker within. "So this is where you've been hunting." She said quietly to Nymeria.

The wolf whined in response and then trotted into the woods, expecting Arya to follow her. Which of course Arya did, only not as confident as Nymeria. "Not too far ahead, you can see a lot better in the dark then I can." She snapped at the wolf, hoping her voice didn't carry, just in case there was someone near by. Nymeria came back and walked just ahead of Arya, so the girl could follow her easily.

After about twenty minutes of Arya stumbling in the dark, Nymeria brought them to a stop. Nymeria must have known that Arya needed her rest. Soon Arya found herself leaning heavily against a tree. She slid down so that she was sitting. She knew that eventually she would have to get up to move again. She could not hide here forever, eventually someone would come looking for her. Someone would figure out that this wooded area would be the perfect place to hide. But for right now she could not go on. She was worn out, she couldn't tell if it was because she was tired or if it because she was in shock. It was probably a little bit of both.

Now that she didn't have the task of escaping foremost in her mind, the quiet of the woods gave her mind a chance to wander. Her thoughts were a mixed up jumble of the people she was worried about and their fates. She felt the tears start to well up in her eyes, she had to fight to keep them from falling down her cheeks. She tried to reassure herself that since she got away, maybe Theon, Robb, and her mother had gotten away too. She knew it was a hollow wish, but it was all she had. It didn't seem fair for her to still be alive if they were gone.

—

It had taken Theon and the man who was with him awhile to get through the chaos of the camp. As they made there way, Theon had seen Bolton men fighting against Robb's more loyal banner men. Somehow that didn't surprise him that Bolton would align himself with Lord Frey. They were forced to fight only a few times, but for the most part they were left alone. Theon thought maybe it was because they showed no outward sign of being loyal to Robb, and he hadn't been in camp long enough for people to recognize who he was. They were also only two men, amidst an army that had turned on each other. They didn't want to fight, they only wanted to escape. So no one paid them much attention.

By the time they had reached the wooded area that Theon's companion had been trying to get them to, they were both exhausted. Once the stranger had led them into the trees and he was satisfied that they were far enough within the shadows, that they couldn't be spotted, he brought them to a stop. "We should rest here, my lord." The man said. "There's only a few hours before dawn and we'll want to continue traveling before first light."

It was a moment before Theon could find his voice. His mind seemed to still be back at the Twins. "Okay." Was all he could manage.

The were both quiet for a long time after that short exchange. They had seated themselves on the ground, knowing that they wouldn't be able to sleep, but that they had to conserve their energy. Now that they had come to a rest, he felt the full pain of the injuries he had sustained while he fought the Frey men. But they were nothing compared to what he was going through mentally. Theon struggled to clear his mind. He didn't want to think about what he had lost, so he tried to think about nothing at all. It seemed to work for a while and then a brief memory of Robb and him as boys in Winterfell's practice yard, fighting each other with sticks, would come to him. He would let the memory play until he couldn't stand it any longer. Then he would force his mind to go blank. Only to have another memory pop up in its place. This time it was when Arya first approached him about teaching her to use a bow and arrow properly. And how eventually it resorted to her begging him. That had been the start of it all. The memory made his heart ache. He couldn't stand the silence and the memories it was bringing to him.

"I don't think I caught your name." Theon finally said.

"It's Olyvar, my lord." came the tired reply.

"Theon, just call me Theon. You saved my life, probably more than once tonight, I don't think you have to be so formal." He paused a moment, for some reason something bothered him, and he wasn't quite sure what it was. It took him a few seconds before it hit him. "How did you know I was highborn?"

There was silence for a moment, "Your clothing, I suppose, too fine cut for a commoner. And the way you fight, I knew you had castle training."

"Oh." But even in Theon's state of mind, he could tell it wasn't the full answer. That this Olyvar was hiding something. He would leave it for the time being, if the man had wanted Theon dead, he had plenty of opportunities to make it happen.

They talked quietly after that, about where they were going to go and what their next move would be, and before long a faint grey light started to creep into the sky. "We should get going." Olyvar commented once he noticed. "They'll probably be sending off search parties to look for stragglers. We don't want to be caught."

They had begun to pick themselves off the ground still weary from the night before. Theon had been just about to pick up his sword, contemplating about what he was going to do with it since he had no sheath, when both men were startled by a figure that had slipped from the shadows of the trees that surrounded them. However it only took seconds for Theon to recognize what it was. "Nymeria?"

The wolf whined as she walked up close to Theon, nudging his hand lightly. Then she turned and started back the way she had came, stopped and looked back expectantly at him. He realized she wanted him to follow her, that was when hope started to flood into his heart. Was it possible that Nymeria could lead him to Arya? Without so much as a word to Olyvar, he started after the wolf. He had left his sword behind as well, nothing at that moment held any significance to him other then the fact that Arya might be alright.

It didn't take long for Nymeria to lead him back where her master was. He stopped short when he saw her sitting beneath the tree, her knees pulled up, her right arm laid across them as her forehead rested atop the arm so that her face was down and hidden from view. Her left arm down at her side, he saw that her hand gripped Needle. His heart ached at knowing the trauma she must have gone through and yet it soared at the same time, knowing that she was still alive.

"Arya," he called out as quietly. He didn't want to startle her. When she didn't response he thought she must not have heard him and he took a few steps closer, calling her name again, "Arya." When he reached her, and she still hadn't responded to him, he grew concerned. He knelt down in front of her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

His touch must have awoken her, because almost immediately she jumped into action. She straightened her back to a fully upright position, her knees stayed where they were but her arm dropped to her side and her other hand lifted Needle so that it pointed at Theon's throat. Her eyes were wide and wild. It looked like she was coming out of a daze.

It took a beat for Theon to realize that she didn't recognize that it was him. She seemed to be in shock and had lashed out on impulse. If he wasn't careful, she would stab him. "It's just me," he pleaded gently. "Arya…"

Him saying her name that last time seemed to have jarred her out of her shock. She blinked her eyes as she came back into awareness. She seemed to drink him in as she looked up at him. "Theon?" Before he could do anything to respond, she pulled the sword away from his throat and dropped it beside her. Then shifted so that she rested on her knees and threw her arms around him, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Theon wrapped one arm around her waist, and his other hand tangled into her hair as it cradled the back of her head. The arm around her waist tightened its hold when he felt her body start to shudder as if she was sobbing. He didn't know what he could say to calm her. He couldn't lie to her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. He wasn't sure anything would ever be okay again. So he did the only thing he could do, he held her.

After a few moments, Arya lifted her head so she could look at him, her eyes still shining with tears. "I thought you were dead. I saw Roose Bolton's men cut down so many of Robb's men. I was scared they might have gotten you too." She said simply.

"I know, but I'm here now." He answered. "I thought I lost you too. I wasn't sure what the Frey's were going to do to you when everything started."

_"_The Frey's." She didn't sound surprised and her voice sounded hollow, "so they _did_ have a part to play in all of this."

Theon nodded his head, not knowing what else to say. He was reluctant to let her go, he was afraid that if he did she would disappear. But he knew that they had to go, it was a risk staying here much longer. He took a few seconds to look her over, to reassure himself that she was really there. He still made no move to pull away from her, when he spoke again. "We should go."

Arya nodded her head, but it seemed like she was just as resistant to breaking physical contact as he was. However, something behind him must have caught her eye, because she jerked away from him and hopped to her feet. "Who are you?" She demanded, Theon could tell she was trying to stay in control of her emotions, but he could tell there was a slight tinge of panic in her voice.

Theon, still on his knees craned his neck to look behind him, relieved to see it was only Olyvar. He had almost forgotten about him. He picked himself up off his knees and placed his hands on Arya's shoulders, so she would bring her attention back to him. "It's okay Arya, he's a friend."

"He's right, Lady Arya." Olyvar said as he stepped closer to the couple, hands up to show that he meant no harm. "I only want to help."

She kept her eyes on Theon for a moment. He could tell that she was struggling, he knew she trusted him, but it was going to be hard for her to trust anyone who was a stranger. "He saved my life." Theon reassured her, and he could feel her shoulders release a little bit of tension.

"Oh," was all she said as she took her gaze from Theon and looked to Olyvar. She wasn't ready to trust him completely, but she would accept Theon's judgement for now.

"Good." Theon said as he let his hands fall from her shoulders. The lack of physical contact didn't last long, as he grabbed her right hand. He gripped it tightly, as if he was telling her he had no intention of letting her go any time soon. "He says his name is Olyvar. It seems he's figured out who you were already."

Olyvar offered her a bow, "my lady." He said in the form of a greeting.

For a moment Arya said nothing, her brow furrowed slightly. Finally she asked, "how did you know who I was?"

"The wolf mostly. I knew that King Robb's siblings had wolves, the same as he did. I also knew you were supposed to be at the Twins. It wasn't so hard to leap to conclusions." Olyvar explained. "And last night, Theon seemed so desperate to reach you, that when I witnessed your reunion I figured it could only be you."

"I tried to get to both you and Robb." Theon explained. "I was outside when everything started. I was able to free Grey Wind, and then we had to fight our way to the keep's doors. Walder Frey had them barred, we couldn't get through." There was a hint of regret in his voice.

Arya looked to Theon, "but Robb could have gotten out, my mother too?" She hadn't realized that there was a hope that had ignited within her when Theon found her. A hope that her family might have been able to escape too, that they were still out there alive.

"I don't think so, my lady." Olyvar voice was quiet.

"But Grey Wind isn't with you." Arya tried to reason. "He must have found Robb."

Theon squeezed Arya's hand, "Grey Wind was killed. He died trying to get to your brother."

"That doesn't mean Robb is dead. Or my mother!" She said stubbornly, although the tone of her voice raised a little in panic.

"Those doors wouldn't have been barred if Walder Frey wasn't certain that his plan wouldn't succeed." Olyvar insisted.

"Why? How do you know?" Arya demanded. "What makes you so certain?"

Olyvar remained silent for a moment, as if he wasn't sure how to respond to that. That alone was enough to make Theon suspicious. He had already suspected that Olyvar was hiding something, now his silence just seemed to confirm it. An uncomfortable tension seemed to settle in around the three of them. Theon took a step forward, ready to stand between Arya and Olyvar just in case he had to defend her. "Yes, why are you so certain?" Theon asked.

Arya looked down to where she had dropped Needle, wondering how long it would take for her to snatch it off the ground. Olyvar noticed where her eyes lingered. He realized he needed to do or say something to defuse the situation. The first thing he did was unslung his bow and held it out for Theon to take so that he would be unarmed. He knew that they would not be happy with what he had to say and that any trust might have had with Theon would be lost. "Because I know my father well enough to know that he may be a coward, but he's also careful and he's not stupid. I also knew what he had planned."

It took a second or two for Theon to fit the pieces together. Once he did, he snatched the weapon from Olyvar's hands. It all made sense now, how Olyvar seemed to know that he was noble born. He probably even knew who Theon was, when he had saved him at the Twins. He had known who Arya was. He had known the area enough to bring Theon to a place where Theon thought he would be safe. The look on his face hardened as he realized that the man who had been so helpful to him turned out to be an enemy. "You lied to me." His voice was even, but his anger was evident.

"I didn't lie to you." Olyvar said calmly. "My name is Olyvar, I just didn't tell you I was of house Frey. I may be Walder Frey's son, but I was loyal to your brother." He said looking to Arya, then he looked to Theon, "why do you think Grey Wind didn't attack me when I first approached you? He knew who I was. Don't forget I also killed several of my father's men night."

Arya let go of Theon's hand and moved to pick up her sword. Then she turned and pointed it threateningly at Olyvar. "Why should we believe you, the son of a traitor and a man who violated the guest right? How many of your father's men are surrounding us right now?"

"None that I know of right now." Olyvar answered pleadingly. "But if we stay her any longer that could change. They'll have realized that you're gone by now, they'll be looking for the both of you. Look," he slipped out the quiver of arrows from his back and handed them to Theon as well. "Let me help you, please. I couldn't help Robb, but I can help you, my lady. I'll even do so unarmed if it makes you more comfortable."

Taking the arrows from Olyvar, Theon asked skeptically, "you said that you knew what your father had planned and you were close enough to Robb that Grey Wind knew who you were, why didn't you warn him?"

"I squired for him, before he married." Olyvar started to explain. "When he broke the marriage contract with my father, I was called back to the Twins with the rest of my father's men. I didn't want to go, but my brothers who were with King Robb's army forced me to leave. Then when Robb offered to repair the damage he had done to the relationship between himself and the Frey's, I was confident that things would go back to the way they were. But then, as the day of my sister's wedding to Edumre Tully neared, my father decided to send me out on petrol duty, he claimed there were some bandits harassing some of the people he was sworn to protect. He sent some of my older brothers to _look after me._ I was suspicious, I was curious as to why I was being sent away."

"He guessed where your true loyalties were?" Theon asked, obviously not yet convinced by what Olyvar was saying.

Olyvar didn't blame them for not believing him, but he continued. "While I was on this _petrol duty_ I kept my eyes and ears open. One night I heard my brothers discussing what was going to happen soon at the Twins. That my father was going to get back at Robb Stark for breaking a vow. That the wedding of Roslin and Edmure would be memorable, that it would mark the end of the war. That the Lannisters would owe the Frey's much if they succeeded in killing the King of the North. They didn't go into too many details, probably because they didn't know the full plan. But it was enough for me to realize that I had to warn Robb. I snuck away from my brothers and the men who came with us that same night. When I got to the Twins it was already too late. I was trying to get to where I knew Robb would be when I came across Theon and Grey Wind. When I realized the doors were barred, I knew that Robb Stark was either already dead or he was going to be very soon, and there was nothing I could do to change that. My father made sure Robb couldn't get out, and none of Robb's men could get in. He made sure Robb was an easy target."

"My mother?" Arya asked, she was trying very hard to keep her voice even.

"She could still be alive, I don't know. There would be no real reason why they would kill her. Maybe they kept her as hostage." Olyvar answered.

"What about Queen Talisia?" Theon asked

Olyvar paused here for a moment, "I don't know what was supposed to happen to her. I fear she might have faced the same fate as Robb. If there had been any possibility that she could have been with child, they would have felt the need to kill her. If Robb Stark had an heir, he or she would have been a threat."

"Was she with child?" Arya asked harshly.

"I don't know, but I doubt it would have mattered. They would have wanted to err on the side of caution." Olyvar responded.

"So she's probably dead as well." Frowned Theon. There was so much more that they had to discuss, like what Roose Bolton's role in all of this was, but as the day started to get lighter, he was feeling more and more vulnerable. He needed to get Arya further away from the Twins, he wasn't about to risk her so soon after he had found her again. He placed the quiver of arrows that he had taken from Olyvar over his shoulders. Then he placed a hand on Arya's arm, signaling her to lower her sword.

She gave him a perplexed look, but she slowly lowered her arm. Then Theon looked to Olyvar and said in all seriousness, "I'm not saying I trust you. I just know that we need to move if we're going to make it through the next few hours. I don't know the Riverlands and you do and we need a guide. If you make one move I don't like, or if I think you're going to make a move I don't like. I will kill you."

"The same goes for me." Arya said.

Olyvar heard a loud growl from behind him. He figured that must have been Nymeria giving him the same warning. Still he felt relieved knowing that he might have a chance to make up for not having saved Robb. "You'll see I mean you no harm. We need a place we can rest, I know of an Inn not too far from here where the owner is more loyal to the Tully's then to my father." With that he started off, knowing that the two of them had no choice but to follow him.

**Author's Note: **Thanks again for reading.

To TaylaWrites: The last two chapters were terrifying for me to write! I found them to be a real challenge. And they're now reunited!

To: Universal-Public-Cockblocker: Thanks, I had actually been worried about that last chapter.

To jean d'arc: As you can see the boy was Olyvar Frey, I always wondered what happened to him, George R.R. Martin never went in to how he reacted over the Red Wedding, I always thought it would be interesting to see what happened to him.

To my French Speaking Reviewer: The good Samaritan character is one of Robb's squires from the books. He was very minor character, but I always got the feeling that he was very, very loyal to Robb, even though he was a Frey. He was mentioned only once in the television series I think.

To anon. guest and pipn123: Thank you very much. I'm happy you're enjoying the story.


	18. Chapter 18

Author's note: First I want to say sorry for such a long delay in getting this chapter posted. And now I want to say thank you for your patience and thank you for reading!

**Chapter 18**

The inn that Olyvar had told them would be a safe haven proved to be that and so much more. He had not been wrong when he had said the owner's sympathies lay with the Tully's and by extension the Stark cause. Stories of what had happened the previous night at the Twins had started to spread. The innkeeper had heard how the Frey's had violated the guest right and was more than happy to help anyone who had Tully ties.

They weren't stupid. They didn't tell those at the inn who they really were and neglected to give anyone their names. They had learned that men were already looking for the youngest Stark girl and Theon Greyjoy. But they did come up with a story where Arya and Theon posed as a married couple. Theon's role was that of a soldier who had fought for Robb Stark's army under the Tully banner and Arya had followed him to war and had worked as a cook within the camp. They told the innkeep that they had managed to escape the massacre from the night before with Olyvar's help and that they were now trying to find their way back to their home near Fairmarket. The story, as flimsy as it was, must have been believable enough because the man offered his hospitality almost immediately.

The first things the innkeeper offered them was a chance to clean up and a hot meal, which was more than welcome considering it was the first thing they had eaten all day. He had also managed to scrounge up new clothing for each of them, much to their relief they would be able to throw away the dirtied and blood soiled clothing that only served as a reminder of what had happened at the Twins. Arya was especially delighted that she wouldn't have to deal with a dress anymore, as she was given the same style clothing that Theon and Olyvar were given. Arya had been the first to change her clothing in the small room that the innkeeper had kindly told Arya and Theon that they could use for the night. Olyvar would be welcome to sleep on a bench in the common room as the innkeeper couldn't spare two rooms. All the man asked in return was for them to do a few odds and ends around the inn before they left the next day. Everything seemed to be going right, which is why Arya didn't trust it.

That distrust continued to extend to Olyvar, even though he had gotten them to a place that seemed safe. She found herself sitting in the inn's kitchen alone with him after she had changed her clothing. The innkeeper's wife had stepped outside to take care of something and the innkeeper himself was tending to the other patrons in the common room. Theon had left the kitchen to go change his clothing and tend to his injuries. This left her to keep an eye on Olyvar. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"Haven't I proven myself to you yet?" He hissed after he gave a furtive glance to make sure they truly were alone.

Arya shrugged, and then whispered. "you've proven yourself helpful. I'll give you that. That doesn't mean you won't betray us the moment it's convenient to you."

He seemed frustrated by her lack of faith in him, "I realize I cannot say anything that will erase what my father has done. But know that I have no loyalty toward that man, I no longer call him father. I gave a vow to serve your brother, now I'm choosing to extend that same vow to you, and to him." He said nodding his head in the direction that Theon had gone, careful not to use any names just in case someone did happen to over hear. He looked like he wanted to say more but at that moment the inn keeper's wife chose to come back in.

"I hope what you say is true," Arya said neutrally.

It was Olyvar's time to shrug. "I can only give you my word. I know you probably want to discuss the situation with your husband_._ I'll let you do that without my interference." With that he stood up slowly. "I promise I won't stray far, but I'm going to see if I can do anything to help our hosts need me to do anything." He didn't wait for her to respond before he slipped out of the kitchen and into the common room so he could talk with the innkeeper.

She watched him go, wondering if this was the moment he would choose betray them. Despite her suspicions, she would take opportunity to talk with the only person she trusted at the moment. She stood up and slipped out of the kitchen and followed Olyvar into the common room. She cast a glance toward him, and saw that he did indeed, seem to be offering to help around the inn for the rest of the evening. The inn keeper was motioning toward the large fire place and Arya realized he must have been asking Olyvar to fetch fire wood. As Olyvar was making his way towards the inn's entrance, she turned to the stairs and quickly climbed them before anyone took any notice of her. When she reached the door of the room she would share 'husband' she knocked and waited for a reply. She was answered with a string of curses and she frowned slightly at the door.

"It's me." She didn't use any names, and simply called, "I'm coming in," before unlatching the door. When she pushed the door open she was greeted by the sight of a shirtless Theon, who was holding a bottle of what appeared to be some sort of herbal remedy for cleaning wounds, no doubt provided by the helpful innkeep. She could only assume that he was trying to clean the sword cut on his shoulder by himself. Her first impulse was to roll her eyes in exasperation as she let the door close behind her. Of course he wouldn't ask anyone for help. She walked over to him, taking the bottle from his hand. "Here, let me help you."

Theon looked at her, not bothering to hide his surprise by her being there. "Where is Olyvar?" He asked as she rested her hand on his bare arm and started to lead him to the lone stool in the room.

"Sit," she commanded him. Then answered him blandly. "He's fetching fire wood."

He sat down so that his back was to her. "You trust him enough to let him out of your sight?"

"No." Arya said unhappily, "but I didn't see that I had much of an option. I wanted a chance to talk to you without him around." She peered down at the wounded shoulder, squinting slightly in the fading light. She frowned when she saw how bad it looked. The cut was deep and the area looked bruise. She hoped that it looked worse then what it was.

"Don't worry," he said trying to reassure her. "I'm sure Nymeria is keeping an eye on him from her hiding place in the woods. If he does anything that seems suspicious she'll take care of it."

"I suppose you're right." She answered distractedly. She cast a glance around the room and noticed a small stack of bandages and a pile of clean rags lying on the bed. She reached for one of the rags with her free hand. "This is probably going to sting." Her tone was apologetic. Then tipped the bottle over the wound and let the disinfecting liquid spill directly on the cut. She used the rag to catch any excess medicine that fell down his back.

He hissed in pain and then with a grimace said, "gods that burns."

"I warned you." She said with a shrug as she put down the bottle on a the table that stood at the side of the bed along with the cloth. "Sorry, my touch might not be as gentle as a maester's" She said blandly as she leaned to inspect the wound once more to see if it it was clean. It was hard to tell just how clean it was in the dim light, but she couldn't see any visible dirt or debris in in the cut, so she was satisfied with her work. She would make sure to check again in the morning when there would be enough light to see properly. She let the tips of her fingers brush lightly over the bruise that had accompanied the cut. "How badly does it hurt? You probably should have it stitched up, but you know my skill with an actual needle isn't very good. Do you think you can just get by with bandages for now?"

"I'll be fine." He muttered taking a few moments to relish in fingertips on his bare skin. "Your touch is gentle enough." He said with a sigh. He paused a moment then spoke up again. "How are you doing?" He had been wanting to ask her that since she had entered the room, but she seemed intent on taking care of him first and selfishly he let her do so.

"I only have a few cuts and bruises. I've had worse training with Syrio." She knew that he wasn't asking about how she felt physically, but she wasn't ready to go into how she was feeling mentally. She reached for the bandages, but before she could pick them up, he rested a hand on her wrist to stop her.

"That's not what I asked." He let go of her wrist and then turned on the stool so he was facing her. He looked up at her so that she could really look into his eyes.

When their eyes met, she felt her resolve to hold back all that she was feeling start to crumble. She saw the anguish and anger he was feeling in his gaze. She knew then that he felt exactly how she did, only he didn't seem to be afraid of showing his emotions. "I…" She seemed to loose her train of thought under that intense gaze of his. "I can't let myself think about what happened to Robb, or about what might have happened to my mother."

"Why?" His voice was hushed as he kept his eyes trained up at her.

"Because thinking about that means I have to face the possibility that my entire family might be dead." She said bitterly. "I have no where to go. There is no safe place for me."

"Hey," he said gently as he raised his hands to her waist pulling her closer to him as he stood up. Now he had to look down at her. "Aren't you jumping to conclusions. Bran and Rickon, they're still safely at Winterfell."

"You cannot honestly believe that." Arya said looking up at him. "Winterfell is probably the second most dangerous place for a Stark to be right now. When you told me what happened to you last night, you said you heard _The Rains of Castamere, _that it seemed like it was some sort of signal. It gives me the idea that the Lannisters pulled the strings for all of this to happen. They used Walder Frey and Roose Bolton to do their dirty work. They couldn't defeat my brother fairly so they used treachery. That also means they must have offered Walder and Roose some pretty large rewards for doing so. What do you think Lord Bolton got out of the deal?"

Theon frowned as he realized where her reasoning was going and he couldn't deny that it made perfect sense. "The North." He said simply.

"The North." She affirmed. "And for the most part, the Northern houses are very loyal to the Starks, you know that. If there's still a Stark alive, Lord Bolton will have an awfully hard time exerting his power. And let us not forget that when we left Winterfell, Ramsay Snow was still there. I doubt he ever left to go to Moat Cailin."

"They could have gotten away." Theon said quietly. "I made plans for them to escape. You have to have some hope, Little Wolf."

"You _know_ what _The Rains of Castamere,_ is about, Theon." Arya said softly and he could hear the despair in her voice. "It's about the extinction of House Reyne, about how Tywin Lannister destroyed that house just so he could prove just how dominant the Lannisters are. These people… all of them, the Lannisters, the Boltons, the Frey's, they want the Starks dead." She didn't try to stop the tears that she felt welling up within her eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to calm her down. "Shh. We don't know if any of what you are thinking about actually happened. Maester Luwin is smart, he might have figured something was amiss in time to get them out. Bran and Rickon have a whole host of people loyal to them to make sure that they are safe. The Reeds, that Osha woman, Syrio, all of them skilled enough to protect your brothers. Even my sister might have helped if it meant she got away from Ramsay Snow. Just don't lose hope, please." He pleaded with her. "And your mother, we don't know if she is dead. Sansa is most likely safe too. She would probably be considered the key to the North right now. They wouldn't dare kill her." He tried to push away the thought that his own sister was at Winterfell and probably in almost as much danger as the Starks were. If something happened to her it would be his fault for allowing Robb to keep her prisoner. He couldn't say that he felt like anything akin to love for Yara, but still she was his family and wouldn't wish her dead or in the hands of that bastard.

She allowed herself only a few moments to cry as she buried her face within Theon's chest. She would have been afraid that she would lose herself in grief and fear if it wasn't for the fact that she felt a sense of safety just being in his arms. She was able to calm herself much faster then she would have been able to if she had been alone. "I don't know if I have it in me to hope for the best." She said in a hoarse whisper.

"I'll help you." He said gently, "you're not in this alone. We'll figure this out. We could always find our way North to find out about your brothers."

She lifted her head up form his chest so she could look at him and let out a dark chuckle. "That sounds dangerous."

He quirked an eyebrow, "it can't be any more so than the situation we're in right now. We have men looking for us from the Twins to Riverrun. And we're entrusting our lives to a man who's father betrayed and murdered your brother."

"I don't like having to trust Olyvar." Arya said.

"I know." Theon agreed. "But if he's telling us the truth, and he really was loyal to Robb, then that means he's turning his back on his family by helping us. And he'll have no where else to go, same as us. Besides I kind of know what it means to defy your family to help the Starks. We cannot turn our back on him."

"You have a point." She answered grudgingly. Then reluctantly pulled away from the warmth his embrace offered her. "Sit back down. I have to finish bandaging you." She waited for him to do as she said and then picked up the bandages. Without a word she set to work and remained quiet for a few moments. "About going North," she finally spoke up. "I'm not sure it would be a good idea to go there."

"Why not?"

"The Bolton's might expect me to try to get back to Winterfell." Arya said as she concentrated on securing the bandage.

"True. Then I take it you don't want to go to Riverrun either. The Frey's would expect that." He said thoughtfully. He had a feeling that she had a plan as to where she wanted to go. The question was where. "Are you thinking of going to the Eyrie, to your Aunt Lysa. The Vale was noticeably absent in the war. They might not suspect you to head in that direction."

"No," she said quietly.

"Not Pyke?" Theon asked with a note of exasperation, "because that would be an even worse idea then going North. My father would not welcome us-"

"Of course not, I'm not stupid." She answered with a hint of annoyance as she finished up with the bandages. "There you're done."

"Then where, Little Wolf?" He asked as she stood up. He reached for the fresh shirt he had been given and slipped it over his head. Then turned to her with an expectant look.

"King's Landing." She couldn't even bring herself to look at him when she said this, she knew what his reaction would be.

"You want to go in to the lion's den?" He asked her incredulously. "Why in the Seven Hells would you want to do that?"

"Sansa." She said as if it was the only obvious answer. "She could be all the family I have left. And if she's alive, who knows what fresh tortures they're going to throw her way. You said it yourself she's the key to the North. If they think she's the only Stark alive, then they'll marry her off to some gods awful Lord who is blatantly loyal to the Crown. Maybe Roose Bolton himself. That would get the Northern Lords to fall in line, wouldn't it?"

"You think that we can just walk into Red Keep and steal away with her? How do you think we're going to do that? There's only two of us, three if you're willing to count Olyvar." He asked looking to her expectantly.

"I don't know." She admitted. "But we can come up with something on the way there. And you can't tell me that they would expect us head in that direction."

"If they knew how brash you could be at times, they might expect it." He muttered.

"Theon, you promised me." She pleaded. "Months ago, you promised that if things got worse, you would go with me to King's Landing. Wouldn't you say things are worse?"

She would of course remember that particular promise he had made her. He let out a deep sigh and then took a step towards her. "Let's both sleep on this. Maybe after we get some rest our heads will clear and we can decide rationally." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Okay?"

She frowned, knowing that that would be the best answer she would receive from him. "Okay." She agreed, but she wasn't going to back down on this. He probably knew that too, and he also knew how stubborn she could be.

They were just about to leave the room when Olyvar pushed his way inside. He seemed to be a bit frantic. When he saw that the two of them were within the room, he seemed to relax slightly. He turned to the door and made sure it was locked. Then looked back to the Arya and Theon.

"What's going on?" Asked Theon, darkly, he realized that something was wrong the moment the young man entered the room.

"Men at arms from the Twins are here, I saw some of Lord Bolton's men too." He explained to them in a voice that told Arya and Theon that Olyvar was trying to remain calm. "They're looking for the two of you."

Instinctively, Arya reached for Needle's hilt and the first thought that came to her mind was an accusation leveled at Olyvar, "are they here because of you? Did you send for them?"

That seemed to snap him out of his panic, as cast an annoyed glance in her direction. "If I did, don't you think I would have come up here with several of those men right behind me." He was clearly exasperated that she was still suspicious of him, even if he could understand why.

Arya was about to answer him, but Theon was able to intervene before she managed to further insult him. He raised hand and rested it on Arya's hand to keep her from drawing her sword. "Why don't you let him explain before we decide if he's betrayed us." He said diplomatically to Arya, then looked expectantly to Olyvar. Once he was convinced that she wouldn't resort to violence he pulled his hand away from hers.

"Right." Olyvar nodded as he took a seat on the stool that Theon had been setting on earlier. He seemed to be collecting his thoughts as Arya and Theon both sat down on the bed. Once it seemed like everyone was settled, he began, "I don't think they came here knowing that the two of you were here. They just came in asking the innkeeper if he'd seen Arya Stark, Theon Greyjoy, or Brynden Tully and then proceeded to give a fairly detailed description of the two of you and Brynden."

"They're looking for my Mother's uncle?" There was a small amount of hopefulness in Arya's voice when she asked the question.

Olyvar nodded his head. "It appears the Blackfish has slipped through Walder and Roose's fingers too."

"Anyone else?" Arya asked, eager for any information she could get.

There was a sadness in his voice when Olyvar answered her. "I'm sorry, they only mentioned that they were looking for the two of you and Brynden. They seem to think the two of you might be traveling with him. They said that Roose Bolton was fairly eager to find all of you, especially Arya for some reason. He's offered a sizable reward."

"Did any of the men there recognize you?" Theon asked seriously. He had to figure out just how much damage had been done and if he should risk leaving the room to try and get himself and Arya out of the inn.

Olyvar shook his head. "I doubt they noticed me at all. I was doing manual labor so the probably figured I work for the inn. They didn't even glance my way when they announced why they were there. Even if they could recognize me as a Frey, my father has enough true born and baseborn children running around the Riverlands that nobody would be suspicious of me. They would have no reason to think me a traitor."

"Do you think they'll search the inn?" Another question from Theon. "If you knew that this inn sympathized with the Tully's, it would stand to reason that they know that too."

"I don't think so. I got the feeling they didn't really expect to find you here. That they were just going through the motions. They just used the search as an excuse to stop for some food and ale before they continued on in the morning," Olyvar answered.

"So they'll be staying the night?" Arya asked grimly.

"It seemed that way," agreed Olyvar. He let out a small sigh, the next part would only serve to make the other two even more nervous. "I think the innkeeper might have figured out who the two of you are." He said quietly then rushed to add. "But I don't think you have to worry about him telling those men."

"Did he tell you that he knew who we were?" Arya asked, she hated how her voice seemed to have a slight tinge of panic to it.

"No," Olyvar tried to sound reassuring. "After the men had finished talking with innkeeper, he pulled me aside and told me to come up here and tell you two to stay put and keep out of sight. And to lock your door. We didn't exactly give him a very inventive story about who the two of you were. He probably even knew who you were as soon as we showed up at his doorstep. I don't think he means to turn you over, even with how much coin they are offering."

"We don't really have a choice but to trust that this innkeeper will keep his mouth shut." Theon said not happy that he had to put his and Arya's life in the hands of a stranger…again.

"It would seem that way." Olyvar agreed. "But I do think we can trust him. He was genuinely appalled by what my father did to your brother," he said as he looked to Arya. "This man, he's giving you shelter, he gave you food and he's offered you his protection. He's not going to go against the guest right. Decent people wouldn't make you go through that again. And he and his wife seem decent. If you stay in this room and don't draw attention to yourselves, you should remain safe until they leave. They have no reason to believe you are here."

Arya numbly nodded her head. Theon could tell by the look in her eye that she was close to panic. She probably felt just as trapped as he did. Their safe haven had seemingly turned into a prison, at least for the night. He let out a small sigh, "we'll stay here. We won't do anything stupid."

Olyvar nodded, "I'll stick to the original plan and sleep on one of the benches down in the common room. No one is looking for me, so I should be safe enough. It will give me a chance to keep an eye on my father's and Lord Bolton's men. If I see anything suspicious I'll come tell you about it." With that said he stood up. "Who knows, maybe I'll even be able to learn something useful from them if I eavesdrop in on their conversations."

Theon stood up too, not liking the fact that their little group would be separated. Despite himself he was starting to trust Olyvar. He had the most obvious of opportunities to betray them when those men entered the inn and he chose not to do so. "Just be careful." He said.

"I will." Olyvar reassured. "You too, and lock the door behind me. I'll come get you in the morning when they are gone."

Theon just nodded and then watched Olyvar leave. He quickly moved to the door and looked it with ease, then turned his attention back to Arya. "Are you okay?"

"What do you think?" She answered him with a question.

"I think you need sleep." He knew she wasn't okay. He knew she was the furthest thing from okay. She hadn't been given the proper time to mourn the loss of her brother and possibly her mother. They still had no definitive news on Lady Catelyn. Add that to her believing that something bad _might_ have happened to her youngest brothers, it was a wonder she wasn't a complete wreck. And she was still worried about Sansa. Not to mention that she probably felt trapped within the four walls of this very room.

"Do you really think I'll be able to get any sleep?" Arya asked him with a mixture of dark amusement and disbelief.

"Honestly, I think we'll both be able to sleep." Theon said with a hint of confidence. "We got no sleep sleep last night and we walked most of the day today. We're exhausted. So, since we have nothing better to do, we are going to use this time to rest." He moved back over to the bed and knelt in front of her. He leaned down lifted her leg and slipped off one of her boots, then did the same with her other leg, and straightened back up before he started talking again. "That door is locked, and we will hear if someone tries to open that door and we _will _wake up in time to try and fight them off." He brought his eyes up to look intently at her. "And I swear to you Arya Stark that I will put up one hell of a fight before I let anyone take you away from me again." With that said, he moved to take off her sword belt and slipped Needle off her waist and then set it down on the floor beside the bed so it would be within easy reach should she need it.

She sat there silently for a minute before she took his hands in hers and leaned forward so her forehead rested against his. She closed her eyes and said in a whisper. "I'm not going to let them take you away from me either."

They sat there like that for a few seconds, being this intimate with each other seemed to help calm them. Finally he extracted his hands from hers. He pulled his head away from hers so their foreheads no longer touched. With her eyes still closed he kissed her gently on the lips. She had been the one to deepen the kiss when she moved her arms to pull him into an embrace. He responded in kind by lifting himself off the floor and moving her gently so that she was lying on the bed with him hovering over her all with out breaking the kiss.

Needing to feel the warmth of his body next to hers, Arya moved her hands to his shoulders, ready to pull him closer, when he broke the kiss and let out hiss of pain. She had managed to grasp too tightly to his injured shoulder. That seemed to bring them both of them back to their senses. She looked up at him with shock. "I'm sorry."

He had the same look of shock as the realization settled in as to what they had been about to do. "No, it's okay." He pulled himself away from her and allowed himself to fall on the bed next to her. "I'm sorry I let that get a little out of hand."

She turned her head to look at him. "I wouldn't have regretted it, you know."

"I wouldn't have either." He assured her. "But the timing isn't right. I mean there is a room full of enemies just down the stairs." He was trying to make light of the situation.

"I know." She said quietly. Then added trying to match the tone of his banter, "but it would have been an awful good distraction."

He sat up and she followed suit. Both of them taking a moment to calm themselves down. Finally he kicked off his own boots and situated himself on the bed, with his arms open to her. "Come on, let's get some sleep." Without a word she crawled in his arms and he wrapped them protectively around her. "Good night, Little Wolf."

"Good night, Theon." She said, her heart still beating a little faster than it should.

**Author's Note:** Again, I am so sorry for the delay. I got a major case of writers block. I had this whole story planned and then all of the sudden I wasn't felling it anymore. And I realized it was because I didn't like where it was going… it didn't feel right. So I had to rethink a lot of things. But now I think I figured it out, so hopefully I won't have another long break in between updates.

To danceegirl92: Thank you…as to where they're going, I have definite ideas about that. I think what I have planned will work out. Sorry about making you wait so long for an update.

To ConsistentlyRandom21: I'm sorry about having to go through with the Red Wedding! I swear the next fic I write I will not deal with that.

To Jean d'arc: Thank you! I'm really sorry about Robb and Cat… I really don't think they can survive this particular story. It pains me too.

To my French speaking reviewer: I know I've said it before, but thank you so much for your praise. It tells me I'm doing something right. As for Olyvar, you described exactly how I think he would be should we ever get a chance to see him in canon again. So I hope I write him that way.

To the anon. Guest: Here you go :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's note:** Thanks for reading everyone.

**Chapter 19**

Arya was the first to awaken the next morning. It was early and the light that came through the window was still only a pale grey. Theon's arms were still wrapped loosely around her, they must have stayed there the whole night. She allowed herself the indulgence of staying within the warmth he provided her for just a few more moments. The sense of security she felt at being in his arms would disappear as soon as she pulled away and she knew she would have come back to reality. When she did try to slip away from him, Theon tightened his grip.

"Don't leave, you're keeping me warm." He murmured lightly in her ear.

She let a ghost of a smile flash across her features. "I don't want to get up either, but we don't have much choice in the matter." Reluctantly she extracted herself from him and sat up with a groan. The extended rest made her body ache after all the walking she had done the day before. She swung her feet down and leaned over to return her discarded boots to her feet.

"How did you sleep?" Theon asked, he still hadn't moved and when Arya craned her next to look back at him, she noticed he hadn't even opened his eyes yet.

"Better then I thought I would." She admitted.

He opened an eye to look at her and with a bit of smirk. "I told you, you would." With a begrudging sigh he started to lift himself to a sitting position, he was feeling achey too and his shoulder only added to his discomfort. "And the night proved to be a quiet one. It seems no one has given us away yet."

"Perhaps they were being polite and they were letting us get our rest before they make their move." Arya said as she stood up and crossed to the small, lone window the room had been afforded. She looked out, noticing that there was a small amount of activity in the early morning light. It seemed that the inn's guests were getting ready to move on.

"You're always so pessimistic." He told her as he moved to put his boots on as well. "And you probably shouldn't linger by that window, you don't want to be noticed."

She scoffed, "I'll be fine, everyone out there seems to be too focused on what they're doing," but she still took a step back from the window, just in case. "How long do you think we'll have to stay up here? I'm eager to get away from this place."

"I know. I am too, I'm sure those men aren't the only ones that will make their stop here." He let out a cynical little chuckle, "of course, I'm not sure traveling will be any safer. I don't think they'll be giving up on looking for us anytime soon. But to answer your question, we probably won't have to wait too long. I'm sure they'll be eager to start their search again."

Arya let let out a small sigh, "Bolton and Frey men are going to be crawling all over the place, aren't they? It's going to take an extraordinary amount of luck for us to get out of the Riverlands without being caught, isn't it?"

Theon finally stood up after tying up his boots then stepped closer to her. He lifted his hand to brush a stray strand of her hair out of her face that must have come loose from her braid while they slept. He tucked it behind her ear before looking into her eyes seriously. "Yes, it probably will be difficult." He told her truthfully, knowing that it wouldn't do any good to give her a false sense of security. Her question had been more rhetorical than anything else. She was smart enough to realize just how dangerous their situation was. Yet still he wished to try and give her some sort of reassurance. "But we'll manage. We've kept ourselves alive so far."

"I guess." She said with a shrug of her shoulders. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't put much faith in our luck."

"Then let's not worry about luck." He said. "Let's just worry about getting through this one moment at a time. We're smart enough to know how to deal with whatever comes our way. It seems we're fairly good at surviving. I have faith in you, in Nymeria, and in Olyvar. We'll make our own luck."

Arya raised an eyebrow at him, "so you trust Olyvar now?"

"Yeah," he answered calmly. "He _did_ save my life after all. And the fact that we are still standing here talking to each other and not being delivered into the hands of Walder Frey makes me believe he really is on our side."

"I guess I should give him credit for saving your life at least." She said quietly as she raised a hand to cup Theon's cheek. "Life would have been even more…" she struggled to find the right word, "difficult without you."

He didn't say anything, he just tilted his head lightly into her hand. He didn't really think that anything needed to be said. Those few hours when he had thought the worst had happened to Arya had been like a waking nightmare, so he knew exactly what she meant. They stayed that way, lost in each other's presence. They were startled out of their reverie when there was a knock at the door.

They jumped immediately into action. Arya bent over to pick up Needle from beside the bed and Theon looked around the room something, anything he could use as a weapon. The bow Olyvar had given him would not work in such close quarters. He grasped a heavy looking, iron candle stick. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do if they had to fight their way out of the room. Arya gripped Needle tightly as she made her way to the door, and then looked at Theon to see if he was ready. Without a word he nodded his head to show that he was.

"It's just me." Came a voice that had been muffled by the door. Arya recognized it as Olyvar's, her emotions were a mixture of relief and trepidation. She didn't know if he was there to give the all clear or if this was the moment he turned them over. Either way she knew they were about to find out. She unlatched the door and opened it just enough for her to peer through. He was alone.

"It's okay." Olyvar reassured as if he could read her mind. "I didn't reveal the two of you to them."

She nodded her head and then pulled the door open for him. She moved back to Theon's side. Olyvar had slipped in behind her and made sure to lock the door once more. When he turned to look at them he didn't bother with a greeting. "They'll be gone soon," he reported.

Arya let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, and returned Needle back to its sheath. Then took moment to belt the sword at her side as Theon set the candle stick back down. "Do you know what way they plan on going?"

Olyvar nodded, "toward Riverrun. So once we have decided where we want to go, I should have a good idea of how we can avoid at least that patrol. But there's, going to be plenty more. At least that's the impression I got from what I overheard last night. Like I said, they are eager to find you."

They expected that news, so Theon spoke up. "Were you able to find out anything else?"

Olyvar looked from Theon, to Arya knowing that what he did find out would be difficult for the young Stark girl to hear.

"Just spit it out!" Arya hated that he knew something that would obviously upset her and that he seemed to be trying to protect her feelings. She doubted anything would be as horrible as what she had imagined might have happened to those she loved.

"They confirmed that your brother was killed along with his wife…" He told them quietly.

That wasn't news, she hadn't needed a confirmation to know that her brother was dead. It was painful to hear, yes, and there was even some regret felt at the news that Talisa was also dead. But she had started to accept that. No Olyvar had something else to tell her and she was quite certain that she knew what it was. "Go on," she said sharply.

"It's about your mother, my lady." Olyvar said. "They said Lady Catelyn had been killed too."

When he said those words everything went still, it must have been for only a few seconds, but for Arya it seemed to last a whole lot longer. Her heart hurt, there was no denying that. She realized that she was now forced to live in a world without her mother, father, and oldest brother. The odd thing was, that while she felt the pain of hearing the news of her mother's death, she wasn't surprised. Somewhere in her subconscious she must have realized that her mother was already dead, that there was no way Catelyn could have escaped what had happened at the Twins. So while she was grieving for Robb, she had also started to grieve for her mother, only she hadn't realized that until now.

She realized that both men were looking at her, waiting for her to show some kind of reaction. But the tears didn't come, she had already cried them when she wept for Robb. "I'm fine," she said carefully. She wasn't fine, even, Olyvar who didn't know her, knew she wasn't fine. But the pain was no more worse to bear then it had been before Olyvar had told her what she had already known. "Was there anything else?"

With a worried glance in Theon's direction, Olyvar wondered if he should continue. He noticed a worried frown on the other young man's face, but he simply nodded his head to bid Olyvar to continue. Olyvar took a small sigh then continued. "It seems King Joffery has decided to marry your sister off to Tyrion Lannister."

"The Imp?" Arya asked darkly. "Why am I not even surprised?" She looked pointedly at Theon.

"Aye, it would seem they now have ties to the North. The Lannisters would finally have a strong presence there." Theon said, his eyes full of concern as he looked to Arya. He knew she was trying to keep focused on anything other than the news of her mother, and that meant tackling another problem that had arisen. "It now makes sense why Roose Bolton is so desperate to find you. He needs a direct tie to the Starks too. He probably hopes to marry you himself, to rally the North behind him."

Arya shuddered in disgust. "That is not a pleasant thought."

"I don't think Roose Bolton wishes you to marry him. He married one of my father's granddaughters. Fat Walda, I heard her dowry was as large as she is. I was actually at that wedding." Olyvar informed them. "My guess would be that his plans include a marriage to his bastard boy. I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future King Joffery legitimizes him."

"That thought is even worse." Arya's voice was cold. "I would kill myself before I let any of them touch me."

There was an edge to Theon's voice when he spoke. "Well, it's not something we have to worry about, because they aren't going to get their hands on you."

"But that vile Imp has his hands on Sansa." Arya looked at him with a determined look.

"Arya-" Theon started, hoping he could reason with her, he knew that after hearing this, paired with the confirmation of her mother's death, she would want to go to King's Landing more than ever.

But Arya interrupted him before he could get the words out. "No, I will not leave her to that fate."

"And if you managed to get inside the city, much less the Red Keep and they caught you?" He asked bitterly. "What fate would they have planned for you? I mean to keep you out of the hands of those who would use you to further their own agendas or who would hurt you."

"Where do you plan to keep me then?" She snapped. "We discussed this last night. We don't have many options."

"We could leave Westeros," he said helplessly knowing it was really the only option if they wanted complete safety. But he also knew it wouldn't be what she would want to do. Her home was here.

"And leave what little family I have left in the hands of those who have murdered my the family?" Arya responded. "We still don't know about Bran and Rickon." She turned her attention to Olyvar who quietly stayed out of their _discussion_. "Did they say anything about my brothers, about Winterfell?"

"I'm sorry my lady, they they did not." He answered.

"I cannot help but think the worst until I find out for sure about them and it isn't safe for us to go North. What if we go there only to find out that the worst has happened. I would only be further away from the one family member I knew was living. I know where Sansa is, I know it isn't safe to go to King's Landing. But at least I know she's there, alive." Arya looked to Theon with a pleading look.

"But if we went North," Theon tried to reason with her, "there are Northern lords who would protect you. And Jon, he's at the Wall, we could even go there. North just seems the better choice. The safer choice."

"Do you think Jon's Night Watch would take us in? They wouldn't let us stay their indefinitely, no matter how much Jon would want it." Arya replied. "And how safe would it be if we did take refuge with one of the Northern Families. What do you think would happen if the Boltons got wind that someone was protecting us? If we went North, it would just be the least dangerous choice of all the places we could go."

"And you're asking us to go to one of the most dangerous places." Theon pointed out.

"I know." Arya said quietly. "I will go alone, you don't have to come with me. I almost don't want you to come. " Her words held no hint of threat to them. She was not saying this to be cruel or hurtful. She reached for Theon's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She was fully aware that going after Sansa could mean death for her. For anyone who went with her. She wanted to protect Theon just as much as he wanted to protect her. She felt like she had to go to King's Landing and she would go, even if that meant leaving Theon behind if only to keep him safe. "You _could_ go back to Pyke, you are your father's heir, perhaps he would be forgiving. You could be safe there."

"No, I wouldn't." He told her seriously. He fully understood what she was trying to do. "The Iron Island's breeds hard men, and from what I remember of him, my father is no exception. I have no doubt he considers me lost to him. I cannot go home." He paused as he fixed her with a serious look. "And you're a fool to think I'd let you do something this stupid alone. You can't get rid of me this easily."

"So you'll go with me?" Arya asked.

"I'll go." Theon assured her.

Arya looked over to Olyvar, who seemed to be watching the whole exchange curiously. "I could understand if you chose to take your leave now. The next few months could be _unpleasant_ for us. And as much as I hate to admit it, you being a Frey and all, you have already done so much for us. I do thank you for that. I wouldn't ask you to come with us."

"With all do respect, my lady," Olyvar answered with an air of seriousness.. "I made a vow to your brother. If you remember from yesterday, I told you I extended that vow to both you and Lord Theon. I will go with you, even if I think it's madness."

Arya just nodded her head to show her thanks. Now she would have to figure out how she was going to actually succeed in saving her sister. She had no doubt she would come up with something before they reached King's Landing, she had plenty of time to perfect some sort of plan.

"Olyvar, could you go downstairs and see if it's safe for us to come out." Theon said, his attention clearly on Arya. He was worried that she didn't seem to be processing the news of her mother's death.

Without a word, Olyvar nodded his head and moved to the door. Within seconds he left the two of them alone again.

"I'm sorry about Lady Catelyn." Theon said after a brief silence. Their hands were still joined together and he pulled her over to the bed so the could both sit down. Once he sat down, he tugged her hand so that she unceremoniously plopped down next to him.

"Thank you." She said quietly. "I know you're worried, but I really am okay."

"Your mother is dead, Little Wolf, it's okay to cry."

"I cried all my tears for her already," She explained. "I think I realized she was dead before Nymeria led you to me in those woods." She gave him a small sad smile, "I know you worry for me, you don't have to be. I'm not burying my feelings away, I feel her loss, I've just already started working my way through it. And I know I have to focus on the living. It's one of the reasons I have to go after Sansa. My Mother would have done anything to protect her children. She tried to save Sansa when she let Jaime Lannister go. It obviously didn't work, so I have to focus finishing what she started."

Theon let a soft chuckle escape his lips. "You think Lady Stark would have wanted you to risk your life?"

"No," Arya admitted. "She would probably think me reckless."

"Her and I would have agreed on something." Theon said.

"You're being just as reckless," Arya pointed out, "you're following me."

He chuckled a little at that, she did have a point. But he said nothing in return, instead he just let them fall into a quiet stillness, both of them lost in thoughts of their own. It was a quieter way of grieving he supposed. She had cried for her family, he had even held her while she sobbed. But it seemed so much calmer then he would have expected from someone who had lost so much in such a short time. It was then that it occurred to him, that their grief was the same. That the only way the were coping as well as they were was because they were keeping each other strong.

"I just realized something," Arya said, pulling Theon from his thoughts. "My mother saved me that night. She realized that awful Elmar Frey was going to try and come talk to me again. She sent me out to get some air before he managed to corner me. It's why I left the Keep. I needed to get away from all those people." She allowed a small sad smile to touch her lips. "The last thing my mother did for me was save my life."

Theon let out a little chuckle, "I suppose that means she saved my life too. I left because she wanted to have a private word with you. I didn't like being around all those people either."

"She regretted that we couldn't be together." Arya told him suddenly. "For awhile she was worried about how much time we spent together. I overheard her talking to my father once, but for some reason she changed her mind. I think if things had been different, she might have approved a marriage between us." They were quiet for a moment, they both realized that thinking about what might have been was a dangerous idea.

Instead Arya brought up something else that had been on her mind. "I think I forgave my mother for helping make that deal with Walder Frey. I hope she knew that."

"I'm sure she did." Theon reassured her.

"What about Robb, did you forgive him?" She asked Theon quietly.

"Not before he died," Theon said regretfully. "Not fully."

"I didn't either." She agreed. "But that doesn't mean I didn't love him."

"Aye, I loved him too."

"Do you think he knew that?" She asked.

"I'm sure he did."

—

Fifteen minutes later, Olyvar had come up to tell them that it seemed safe for them to come down. They made their leave of the inn in haste. They didn't even take a moment to break their fast, instead the innkeeper offered them a small pack that he had stocked with food and some extra bandages. It wasn't much, and the innkeeper had told them that he and wished he could offer more, but it was all he could afford. Arya had been taken aback by his generosity, she hadn't expected any more kindness from the man and was genuine when she offered her thanks. She couldn't help but wonder if Olyvar had been correct in assuming that the man knew who they were and that was why he had been so helpful. The man must have held a strong love for her mother's family, but then again, when the three of them had parted, he had said he would prey to the Seven for their safety. He might just have been being charitable. Arya supposed she would never know.

For the first two days of their journey Olyvar kept them off the beaten paths. That way they were able to duck the patrols that had been sent out from the Twins, but it cost them a lot of time and effort. They weren't as far away from the Twins as they would have liked. It made all three of them on edge, knowing that they were still so close to the enemy.

On the third day, their fears of running into a Frey patrol came to fruition. The trio had spotted them to late, they had been noticed by the men If they had left the road to try and avoid the men it would have looked suspicious. Nymeria, thankfully kept out of sight and knew not to show herself should there be other humans around. They had no choice but to continue to walk toward the men. Arya felt every muscle in her body tense, this was a situation that they had hoped they could avoid.

The men seemed to be relaxed, as they were obviously stopped for their midday meal, a couple of them sat around a small cook fire. The other three were casually standing around obviously trading stories and jokes while they waited for their food. The only evidence that the were from the Twins was the weapons and shields they carried. It was a smaller patrol, only five men. Olyvar speculated that his father was spreading his men thin in order to cover more ground. Arya and Theon eluding capture must have been frustrating for him. As they neared the men, Olyvar worried that there might be someone he knew among the men.

They had been few yards away when one of the men, obviously the leader, called out to them in what he probably thought was a friendly manner. "Hello there." He held a hand up to show that he wished them to stop where they were. They did as they were bid, then he walked over to meet them.

Olyvar was relieved to see that he did not recognize the man. "Afternoon." He said carefully, it had been decided that should they come across a situation such as this, that he would do most of the talking.

"What brings you three out on such a lonely road today?" The man asked curiously.

"My brother, his wife, and I," Olyvar motioned to Arya and Theon. "We're just tryin' to get to Fairmarket, we had a run of bad luck during the war and our farm was burned down. Thought we'd try to start over in a little bit of a larger town."

"Well, good luck with that." The patrolman seemed amused by the story. He cast a glance at Arya, he seemed to be studying her, comparing her to the description of the girl he was supposed to be looking for. With her old, worn clothing, messy braided hair, and general unkempt appearance, she must not have passed for a highborn lady, because the guard lost interest in her fairly quick. "You three wouldn't have happened to see any other travelers along the road. We're looking for a noble lord and lady, they might be traveling with an older man?"

"No, I can't say that we have." Olyvar answered easily.

Arya had seemed to lose interest in what the man and Olyvar were talking about when she heard one of the other men in the patrol say something loudly about the King In the North that had all the men near the fire laughing. She looked back to the leader. "What are they talking about over there?" Theon looked at her sharply, worried that she had opened her mouth and Olyvar looked nervously over at the other men. They had obviously not heard what the fireside conversation had been about.

The patrol's leader obviously didn't see anything as amiss. He craned his neck to look back at his men. "They've been discussing what happened at the wedding." He said _the wedding_ as if everyone should know what he was talking about. Everyone probably did. He turned back to the three of them, "a few of them have a few tales they like to tell each other over and over."

"Like what?" Arya asked abruptly. She could feel Theon tense up next to her.

"You haven't heard the whole story?" The man asked in surprise.

"Only rumors." Olyvar spoke up, sensing that this might prove to be a sensitive topic for Arya and Theon. "We've been traveling so we haven't heard any details. But um… we shouldn't keep you from your meal. I'm sure we'll find out what happened soon enough." He cast Arya a pleading look.

Arya simply ignored it. "Were you there?"

"I was in the dining hall in the Twins. I saw what happened first hand." The man seemed proud by this fact, even killed a few of those Northern bastards, he said with a chuckle.

"What about Robb Stark, who had the _honor _of killing him?" Arya's voice was becoming strained, and Theon knew this would lead to nothing good. He moved to put a hand on her arm, hoping to get her attention so that they could get themselves away from the group before she did something stupid.

Apparently the man hasn't yet realized that Arya's whole demeanor had changed. That she was openly becoming hostile to him, because he just continued to talk about _the wedding_. "He was a tough one to kill. They had tried to shoot him down with crossbow bolts. He was riddled with arrows, but even after all that he managed to stand up. It took Roose Bolton himself to stab him in the heart with a dagger before he died. The Stark boy's mother tried to get Lord Frey to stop it, she even held a knife to his wife's throat." The man actually laughed as he continued. "Old Walder Frey didn't really care though, just said he would get a new one. Once she saw her son killed she went crazy, she cut the girl's throat. She didn't even notice when Black Walder came and slit her own. That's not even the best part-"

"This isn't proper conversation for a woman to hear. We really need to be-" tried Theon.

"No, I want to hear it." Arya interrupted. "Go on tell me what happened."

"They cut the Young Wolf's head off, went and sewed the boy's wolf's head on his body. Damned difficult thing to do, the wolf's head wouldn't stay on, it was too heavy-" The man didn't have a chance to continue.

One of the things Arya had going for her was her quick reflexes. She managed draw her sword and jabbed Needle's pointy end in the man's throat. For a brief moment all the man could do was look at her in surprise, his eyes seemed to be asking her who she was. "I'm Arya Stark of Winterfell." She hissed an introduction out at him as she pulled Needle from his throat. She watched him drop to the ground, struggling to breath.

It only took seconds for the other men to start to respond to Arya's actions. Theon cursed, but quickly readied his bow. Before he could even take aim at a target, Nymeria had already entered the fray and managed to attack one of the men that had been standing. Theon took aim at the other one, and let loose an arrow. He had hit his target with ease and an arrow protruded from the man's heart. But Theon's success hadn't come without a cost, the wound on his shoulder had been healing but the exertion of the fight seemed to have aggravated it. For a brief moment there had been a searing pain that made him wonder if he might have torn the cut open again. After first flash of pain subsided there remained a deep dull ache and he worried that he wouldn't be able to take another decent shot.

Theon struggled to push through the pain, because he knew there were still two more men that had to be taken care of. The ones who had been seated by the fire were already on their feet, with swords drawn. One seemed to be advancing slowly on Arya. That was the one that Theon had chosen as his next target, but before he could even raise his bow again Arya had already moved forward to greet the man and Theon no longer had a clean shot. As their steel clashed, Theon realized that Arya, while she would be able to fend off the man's attacks for awhile, the more powerful man would eventually overcome her. Olyvar must have realized the same thing, because he had already taken matters into his own hands. He had retrieved a knife from the belt of the man Arya had first killed and dashed forward to help Arya. Theon kept his bow readied just in case an opportunity opened where he would be able let loose an arrow towards the man Olyvar and Arya were fighting, all the while wishing he had a weapon he could use at close range.

While all of that had been happening, the final man of the patrol had caught the attention of Nymeria, who had finished off her first victim. The man had stilled once he realized that the wolf was stalking him, clearly terrified that he was her next target. He looked like he wanted to try to make a run for it, he even seemed to be readying himself to do so, but Nymeria leaped upon him first, going instantly for his throat.

Everything seemed to be over within a matter of minutes. Just as Nymeria killed off the last man, Olyvar had managed to slip his stolen knife into the back of the man Arya and he had been fighting. And just like that everything had gone still. The three of them lowered their weapons and took a moment to look at the damage they had done all of them breathing a bit heavy from the exertion.

Olyvar was the first of them to speak once he brought his attention to Arya. "_Now_ do you trust me enough to let me carry a weapon?"

"I suppose you could have your pick of what they were carrying." Arya said quietly, "they don't need them anymore." She seemed to be shaken by what had just happened, and had just come to the realization that she had caused it all by attacking that first man. She looked down at her at her bloodied Needle was at her side. She could saw that her hand was shaking.

Theon having not seen her face, was unaware of the turmoil she was going through, if he had he might have stopped himself from marching over to where she stood. He grabbed her arm and startled her enough that she dropped Needle to the ground. He turned her so that she could look at him. Anyone could see that he was angry. "Do you realize how stupid that was?"

She looked up at him dumbly for a moment, before she started to feel her own anger bubble up. "You're angry that I killed him? She asked him incredulously. "Didn't you hear the things he was saying about my mother…about Robb? Didn't you hear what they did to him? He was _bragging _about it!"

"I'm not angry that you killed him, Arya! _I _wanted to kill him, but I knew how risky it would have been." Theon countered. "I'm angry that you didn't think about what might have happened. They out numbered us and Olyvar and I were just as unprepared for what you did as those men were. I'm injured and Olyvar was unarmed, not to mention we didn't know if Nymeria was anywhere close enough to help us. You're lucky we came through this alive. I can't protect you if you continue to be so reckless."

Out of habit Arya wanted to be obstinate, to argue with Theon that she was right in what she had done. But she couldn't, because she knew he was right. Her rage at losing her mother and brother had gotten the better of her and she lashed out at the first person who admitted to being at the wedding. She tore her gaze from Theon and looked behind him to the man she had slain, then back up at Theon. "You're right." She said, her voice starting to shake as it started to sink in that she had nearly gotten them all killed. "I'm sorry."

Theon studied her expression, she genuinely did seem sorry and she was visibly shaken at the thought of what could have happened. He felt his anger start to recede, at least she had understood. He lifted his hand so that he gently held the back of her neck and he leaned down slightly so that he was on eye level with her. His voice was now calm and there was a pleading note to it. "Promise me you won't do that again, at least not without some sort of warning."

"I promise."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth he straightened up and encircled her waist with his other arm and pulled her tightly to him in a relieved hug. "Good. Now, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she managed to assure him.

"Good," Olyvar chose the moment he heard Arya say those words to break into their conversation. He had made an effort to busy himself inspecting the bodies the moment Theon first moved to confront Arya. But now that he had gathered a couple of weapons and the small amount of coin the men had on them he felt the urgent need to leave the area. Who knew when someone else would happen upon the scene. He wanted to be far away when that happened. "We should probably get off the road."

Arya pulled away reluctantly from Theon. She nodded her head to show that she understood and then picked up Needle off the ground. She looked down at the blood that was on the blade. A flash of guilt shot through her knowing that she had killed a man, but almost as quickly as that thought came, she brushed it aside. She couldn't allow herself to feel guilty about this, at least not right now. It was too important that she keep her head clear. She wiped the blood off of her sword as best she could on the leg of her already stained trousers and then returned Needle to her belt. She knew she would have to attend to the blade better, but at the moment she didn't really have the time. Then she looked at the two of them and simply said, "let's go."

With that said, Olyvar led them quickly and quietly away.

**Author's Thanks:**

To: TaylaWrites: I'm happy I could help in some way, and I'm hope you are feeling better! I have to admit, I too sometimes find myself reading Arya/Gendry stories. I might even try my hand at writing one myself if the muse ever finds me. But I'm a sucker for odd pairings and Arya/Theon are my favorite. I'm happy my story caught your attention though :)

To: Anon. Guest: Don't worry, I have every intention of finishing this story… my final chapter is already written! I just have to write all the other chapters that lead up to it…

Suzy87: Thank you, thank you, thank you. And I got you a chapter up this week, yay!

To ConsistentlyRandom21: lol I kind of feel like Olyvar is Robb's last parting gift to his little sister, even if he didn't know he was giving it. Thank you so much for letting me know you appreciate my hard work. It's good to know that all my effort is noticeable in the story.

To My French Speaking Reviewer: Sorry I had to throw a little bit of excitement in there at the second half, but I wanted to show that Arya still had some of the coldness in her that she has in the books and the show. Especially after having to go through what she did. Thank you for all your other kind words! Hope I got this up fast enough for you :)


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the delay, again. I have no exude this time, other than pure laziness. So again sorry!

**Chapter 20**

Arya awoke with a start. She bolted up to a sitting position and clutched her chest. She felt her heart beat wildly and she struggled to catch her breath. She squinted slightly against the morning light. It took her a moment to remember where she was. After feeling the cold, hard earth under her and seeing that she was surrounded by trees, it was easy for her to remember that the three of them had set up camp, in a grove of trees, near the banks of the Green Fork of the Trident. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down, she took a few deep breaths.

"Another bad dream?" Theon asked knowingly. He was stooped down, tending to the small fire that they had going. It had done little to fight the chill she felt, but she was sure it would come in handy for cooking their breakfast.

She nodded her head in the affirmative.

Having finished doing what he could for the fire, Theon straightened up, took the few steps it took to reach Arya and then sat down on the ground next to her. "What was it about this time?"

"Oh, you know, the death and destruction of almost all I hold dear." She answered in what she hoped was a flippant tone, but even she could still hear the underlying bitterness and pain. They had been wandering the Riverlands for days, well it was probably weeks now, she had lost track of time, and still the scars of what had happened were still raw.

Of course Theon could see through the facade she tried to build. "So, the usual," he said said seriously. He had noticed that the past few days her dreams seemed to startle her awake. It wasn't surprising, considering the trauma she had gone through. Not to mention that the travel had not gone smoothly, they had a couple of run ins with men from the Twins, and while they always seemed to lie their way through the situations, there was always that chance of being caught. No wonder _all_ of them had been sleeping poorly.

Arya nodded her head again. She raised a hand to rub the back of her neck that was sore. Sleeping on the ground wasn't helping anything either. "Where is Olyvar?" She asked, changing the subject. She'd rather not think about her nightmares when she was awake.

"Finding us breakfast." Theon answered.

"Mmm, I wonder what it will be today…fish, squirrel, or rabbit." She said sarcastically. Food had been another issue for the simple fact that there had not been much of it to be had. The food the innkeeper had given them had run out long ago. Now they had to rely on what small game they could hunt, what ever they could forage, and what fish they could pull from the Trident. They had tried to buy some food, with the little coin they had, at various farms they had passed or from any of the small towns they walked through, but the price was so high it was hardly worth buying it. The war had so ravaged the Riverlands that many of the crops that hadn't been burned, had failed. So the food that had survived was at a premium, and thus the high price. They made do, but it wasn't what the three of them were used to.

"I'm hoping for rabbit myself." Was his offhand reply. "I'm rather sick of the squirrel. "

Arya let out a small snort at that. "What I wouldn't some fresh baked bread." She said a bit wistfully.

"Me, I'd just want a nice soft bed and a decent night sleep." He stifled a yawn as he said it for effect.

"Since we're making wishes, horses would be nice. We'd make our destination a whole lot quicker." She forced herself not to think of what she really wished for, her father, her mother, her brothers, her sister…her home. Sometimes when she was with Theon like this, them bantering the way they had used to, it helped to keep away some of the pain she felt.

"Ahh, yes, but the quicker we get to our destination, means you have less time to think about what we're actually going to to do when we get to King's Landing." Theon reminded her.

She stuck her lip out in a small pout. "I know. I haven't had much time to think how we're actually going to get to Sansa."

"I haven't thought of anything either," admitted Theon.

Arya cast him a sideways glance, she had never expected him to give much thought to their problem. She had figured that Olyvar and him would leave the planning of that particular task to her. This was after all, her crazy idea. She gave him a half smile and nudged his arm with her own. "Thank you," she said. "For trying at least."

"You and me," he reassured her, "we're in this together."

"I know," She said, she leaned over and was just about place a small peck of a kiss on his lips, when they were interrupted by Olyvar coming back with their breakfast. Quickly, she pulled away before their lips touched and she muttered under her breath. "And Olyvar, don't forget we're in this with him too."

Theon chuckled a little when he heard her words. He supposed he could understand why she felt slightly annoyed by his presence. Don't get him wrong, he liked having Olyvar around, he had been helpful and slowly the three of them had been forging a friendship despite the circumstances of their introduction. But he was always around making it hard for Theon and Arya to find any time in which they could be alone with each other.

"You know, you don't have to look so guilty about it." Olyvar must have understood that he had interrupted an intimate moment between the two, no matter how chaste the kiss would have been. He rolled his eyes at them and then crossed over to the fire with a shake of his head. "I'm not stupid. I've been around you two long enough to know that there's something going on. And Lord Robb might have mentioned something about the two of you once or twice." His voice took on a more teasing tone, "and it's not like I'm blind to the longing looks the two of you give each other when you think I'm not paying attention."

Arya shot Olyvar a look that might have made a lesser man tremble. As for Theon, his shoulders shuddered in silent laughter. He supposed neither of them had been very subtle. Olyvar stooped down by the fire and proceeded to prepare their morning meal. When he realized neither of them were going to respond to him, "look, all I'm saying, is that you don't have to try and keep your feelings hidden from me."

"We'll keep that in mind." Snapped Arya, she wasn't sure if she was more angry with Olyvar for thinking that this was something she wanted to discuss, with herself for not keeping her feelings hidden from him, or Theon who was now laughing out loud at the whole situation. He seemed to find the whole thing amusing, probably because he knew that she was embarrassed by it. She took a moment to offer him a glare before turning her attention back to Olyvar. "What did you find for us to eat this morning?"

"Squirrel." Olyvar didn't bother looking up from where he was skinning the animals.

"Good." She gave a satisfied smirk to Theon who wrinkled his nose, it served him right, getting what he hoped for least, for finding her embarrassment entertaining.

Theon raised an eyebrow at the smirk and couldn't help but let one last chuckle escape his lips. It was good to see glimpses of her old self. He realized that she would be forever changed after she had suffered so many terrible losses, he knew that he was too. But it was in moments like these that made him realize that there were still parts of themselves that hadn't been tarnished. He reached for her hand and lifted it up so that his lips brushed her knuckles. "It isn't polite to be so pleased about another's misfortunes, my lady."

"Don't call me that." It had always been her automatic response. She felt the corners of her mouth turn downward into a small frown. Perhaps that had felt too normal. Theon must have figured out what was going through her mind and he laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze to let her know it was okay, that she didn't have to be sad, or angry, or worried all of the time. _I'm okay._ She mouthed to him.

Olyvar seemed to be oblivious to what had transpired as he was working on the meal. "If we are where I think we are, we should be coming upon a small village this afternoon. Perhaps we could even use some of our limited funds to buy us a decent meal."

"I would not object to that." Theon said, with a bit of relief in his voice.

"Maybe we'll be able to find out if there is any news from King's Landing or from the North." Arya craved any kind of information that might give her some idea of what Sansa was going through or if there was any new information regarding her brothers.

It was how they gathered information about what was going on other then the little corner of Westoros they were in. They would go through a small town or village and listen to any of the rumors that had managed to find their way there. At the last village they had been to they had found out that Ramsay Snow had indeed taken Winterfell. There had been vague reports that the youngest Stark boys were being held as hostages, but there had been nothing at all to confirm it except for the word of Ramsay. There had been no word on where the Reeds were or how Yara Greyjoy faired. There was still reason to hope that all of them had some how eluded capture. They had also heard other bits and pieces about what had happened in the Riverlands after the fall of Robb Stark. Brynden Tully it appeared had found his way back to Riverrun and there were a couple of Lords still left in the Riverlands who were holding out against the Crown with him. However most people assumed that it was only a matter of time before they gave in, as the Lannisters still had their hands on Edmure Tully, who had survived his wedding and was now being held hostage at Castlery Rock. There had been no new news about Sansa since they had found out about her marriage to Tyrion. So of course Arya would want to take this opportunity to see if there was anything new to be heard.

The thought of more appealing food and new information spurred them on to make haste in preparing and eating their morning meal. Once they had finished, they quickly packed up what little belongings they had and broke their camp, making sure that any evidence of their stay there was erased. Arya knelt by Nymeria, bidding her good bye for the day. The wolf would stay hidden while they walked the road and then would meet up with them at the end of the day. Once she saw Nymeria off, they were ready to set out on their own way.

They had made good time and managed to make the town Olyvar had told them by about midday. The only people they had come across on the roads were a couple of farmers on their way into the village and none of them seemed interested in talking to, or even paying attention to strangers on the road. Everyone was still weary of each other because of the war, so no one ever really gave the three them a second glance. Which suited their needs just fine.

"We're getting further away from the Twins," Olyvar said as they made their way cautiously into the village's square. "Which is why we haven't seen as many patrols over the last few days, but there still might be Frey and Bolton men lingering about. So still be careful about what you say to people."

Arya raised an eyebrow at him, "I think we know how to be discreet"

"You've made mistakes before." Olyvar said simply.

Arya just shot him a glare, "I'll be good." She said bitterly, she didn't like being reminded of the mistake she had made with those Frey men. And she didn't like thinking about the fact that she had actually managed to kill a man. She had made the choice in a blink of an eye to take someone's life from them. As much as she might have thought the man deserved it, it was still a shock for her to realize that she could really be that ruthless.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe, my lady." Olyvar said, with just a hint of teasing humor in his voice. He was serious about keeping her safe, perhaps he was feeling some brotherly affection for her that had grown these past few weeks. But he also knew her well enough now that she would resent that he would think she would need someone else to keep her safe, so he kept his tone light.

"Don't call me that." She said automatically for the second time that day, but she said nothing else and simply started walking towards the small building she had assumed served as both the village's inn and tavern. "It would probably be smart to get our business done and over with before I manage to get us in trouble." She called back to the two of them with a smile to show that she harbored no hard feelings towards Olyvar.

Before following her, Theon looked at Olyvar impressed. "You managed to get through that small conversation without her biting your head off. You're learning how to survive that little wolf."

Olyvar chuckled a little, "only just barely," he said as they both started after her.

Once the three of them entered the darkened inn, they realized it was more of a tavern or general meeting place for the village than an inn. They supposed this village was so out of the way they rarely got any outside visitors. Arya doubted they would hear any new information about what was happening in the rest of Westeros. She sighed as she took a seat at one of the few tables that that littered the common room.

Theon took the spot next to her, while Olyvar went to the proprietor of the establishment to see about getting a hot meal. Theon had heard the sigh and he guessed correctly about why she seemed so deflated. "Well, at least we have a meal other than squirrel to look forward to."

It didn't take long for Olyvar to join them, " well, they'll be sending out each of us a bowl of the stew they have cooking. It didn't cost us too much and we still have plenty of coin left over if we want to buy some bread and cheese to take with us on the road. The prices here aren't quite so inflated." He took a seat across from them.

"I guess that's something." Arya shrugged indifferently.

The wait for the food wasn't long. A woman brought out three bowls of steaming stew that smelled wonderful, at least it made their mouths water. They had to allow it a few moments to cool before they could eat it. The server seemed to realize this and took advantage of that time to gather some information of her own. "So, have you three been on the road long?"

"Um…a few weeks." Olyvar answered noncommittally.

"Where you traveling from?" The woman asked, clearly not getting the hint that they didn't really welcome the conversation.

"Seagard." Olyvar answered bluntly.

"Oh, so you must have had a hard time of traveling after that nasty wedding business." The woman commented, there was a gossipy tinge to her voice as she continued. "I heard they had all sorts of men looking around for stragglers. Heard one of the Stark girls managed to escape the massacre. Poor girl is probably dead now, still a price out on her if anyone can find her.

Theon felt Arya stiffen next to him and he reached for her hand under the table in hopes it would offer her some support. "Have they stopped looking for her then?" He asked the woman curiously.

"No, I don't think so. A few weeks ago some men came through asking questions about her and a man she might be traveling with, another noble, I think. Those men, they didn't seem to have much hope of finding her. I shouldn't be saying this, especially to strangers," the woman confided, "but I kind of hope she got away, found somewhere safe. Shameful, what they did to her family. But I suppose it did end the war, I guess that's something for us small folk at least."

The three of them just nodded their agreements woodenly. The woman prattled on though, as it seemed she didn't really have anything better to do with her time. There were no other customers to bother, so they just let her ramble on, only nodding their head every once in awhile to show that they were listening, even when they were not. It also helped that their stew had cooled down and it wouldn't have been polite to talk with their mouths full.

Arya had been more intent at looking down at her food while she ate and barely registered anything the woman said. It was mostly local gossip until she had heard something about the King. She had realized that both Olyvar and Theon had stopped eating and were looking in shock at the woman. She quickly swallowed the last bite she had eaten and asked the woman, "excuse me what did you just say?"

The woman looked curiously at them, she had thought everyone would have heard the news by now. Quickly realization set in, "oh right, with you all being on the road I suppose you wouldn't have heard the news. We had a rider come through a few nights ago carrying the news that King Joffrey had died. Didn't have much details, just said the King died. At his wedding if you can believe it."

Arya felt a manic giggle starting to rise up in her throat. She quickly raised her hand up to her mouth to cover a fake cough she had produced to hide the fact, that all she wanted to do was laugh.

The woman didn't even notice and just kept talking. "I guess it would be a shock to find something like that out. Not that it really matters, our lives still go on no matter who sits on some iron chair."

Arya had to fight to keep the grin off her face. She supposed it wouldn't look proper for her to look happy over Joffrey's fate. But her heart seemed a little less heavy at hearing that one of the people she despised most in the world was now dead. "Did the rider know how he had died."

"No, but there have been some rumors going around, from him choking on a piece pie to being poisoned." The woman shrugged. "But that's all they are, rumors. It's hard to get any real news this far out, so we probably won't know for sure what happened until you are long gone from here." She paused and looked at the trio sitting there and gave them a wide smile. "Well, here I am talking your ears off and you all probably just want to eat. I'll let you get to it then. Let me know if you need anything." With that she just walked off.

For a moment they all just sat there in a stunned silence before Arya spoke up. "Well at least we got to hear some good news for once."

—

It was weeks after they had gotten the news that King Joffrey had met his untimely demise, that they found their way on the King's Road. After much discussion they had decided, that while risky, it would still be worth while to travel the main road. They had thought that maybe hiding in plain sight would be less suspicious then traveling back roads, especially as they went further south. That's why they weren't especially worried about stopping at the Crossroads Inn for a little bit of supper, using their last little bit of coin.

They entered the Inn, exhausted and dusty from their long weeks of travel. Luckily everyone else seemed to be in the same condition, so they didn't seem out of place. They found their way to an empty table that was located near another table where two other travel weary people sat. The trio didn't seem to notice them at first, as they were solely intent on ordering their food.

While they waited Theon and Olyvar found themselves falling easily into a conversation amongst themselves. Arya had settled into a fatigued silence, she would be happy to set up camp tonight, she had a feeling she might be so tired that she might not dream and that would be a welcome relief. She let her eyes lazily wander the room. From her place next to Theon she was able to bring her attention to the two travelers that were at the next table over. There was nothing extraordinary about the stout, awkward looking young man that sat there, but Arya was surprised that the person who sat with him was not a man as she had first thought. Upon closer inspection she had realized it was a rather tall woman, with short blond hair, who wore armor. She was just about to comment on the two, to her companions, when their food came and the odd pair was momentarily forgotten.

As they ate their meal ,continued Arya to remain quiet. Every once in awhile her attention would wander to the woman warrior and her unlikely companion. Until finally the portly boy who had brought them their food sat down to talk to the two of them. She had even managed to catch snippets of their conversation. The boy who worked at the Inn seemed to go on and on about food and the proper way to prepare certain dishes.

But Arya's curiosity wasn't truly piqued until she heard the woman say. "We're looking for a girl, noble born."

That right there set off some red flags for Arya. Were these two on their trail, had they known that Arya might be traveling this way. She cast a quick glance at Olyvar and Theon to see if they had overheard what the woman was saying. They were oblivious. Her hand moved quickly to her Needle as her eyes once more went to the next table. She strained her ears to hear what else they had to say.

"She's very pretty. Her name is Sansa Stark, but she might be going by a different name."

Upon hearing her sister's name Arya stilled. Her face was a mask of shock. Did this mean that Sansa was no longer in King's Landing? Had she managed to escape without Arya's help? If so, who had helped her? Arya doubted that she could have gotten away on her own. Where could she have gone? Were these two people looking for her, so that they could bring her back to the Capital? There were so many questions racing through Arya's mind and she wasn't sure how to get the answers. She would have tried to listen in more on the conversation happening at the other table, but she noticed the inn's boy stand up and take his leave. She cursed under her breath as she realized she had lost her chance listen in any further.

Theon must have heard the curse because he turned his head toward her with his head cocked to the side in curiosity. "Is everything okay?"

There was a small pout playing upon Arya's lips and she shook her head. "I'll tell you when we're outside, when we're further away from those who might accidentally overhear our conversation."

That seemed to catch both Olyvar's and Theon's curiosity. It didn't take them long to finish the rest of their meal and before they knew it they stood outside in the cool, night air. Arya led them across the road so that they were further from the building, but still within sight of it. When she was certain there was no one near enough to eavesdrop she looked at the two of them and their confused faces.

"Did either of you notice the people at the table next to ours?" Arya asked simply.

Olyvar simply shook his head. "I was too hungry and tired to notice much of anything."

"Who? That large woman and the boy who accompanied her?" Theon asked with an amused. "They were hard to miss."

"But did you listen to what they were talking about with that fat boy?" Arya snapped impatiently. She was anxious about her sister and she didn't mean to sound so harsh.

Theon frowned at her. "No, I didn't."

"They were looking for Sansa too." Arya said with a bit of a sigh, knowing she shouldn't have snapped at him. She flashed Theon a quick, apologetic look.

Although, before Theon could respond to her, Olyvar spoke up. "Isn't it common knowledge that she's in King's Landing, why aren't they looking there?" He asked.

"As far as we know she's there, but that could have changed while we were traveling." Arya looked to Olyvar. "What if she managed to get away?"

"That could make it difficult for us to find her now." Theon said and he didn't bother to hide his disappointment.

Arya nodded her head in agreement. "Which is why I want to follow those two, where ever it is they decide to go. We might be able to get some answers if we do."

"But what if they work on behalf of the Lannisters?" Olyvar asked.

"Then I want to know that too. They obviously know more about what's going on then we do. If they can lead us to Sansa, maybe we'll be able to save her before they have a chance to bring her back to King's Landing." Arya said with a shrug. "I think it might be the only course of action we have at this point."

For a moment all three of them were quiet. Finally Theon spoke up with a resigned sigh, he knew Arya was right. "I suppose you have a point. At least now we don't have to make our way to King's Landing. Did they give any indication what their plans were when you overheard this conversation of theirs?"

Arya bit her lip, "unfortunately no. I don't even know if they're spending the night at the Inn or if they were going to leave after they finished their food. Which means…"

"Which means we're going to have to keep watch." Theon said reluctantly.

Olyvar frowned at the thought. They wouldn't be able to make a fire if the were going to try and be stealthy, and since they would have to take turns watching the Inn their sleep would be compromised. It was going to be another long, cold night. "Alright, we should probably hide ourselves within the tree line. "I'll take first watch." With that he led them just far enough into the trees where they could see the Inn's door, but they were hidden from anyone's casual glance.

Then they all settled in for the long night ahead. Nymeria even made her appearance and laid down next to Theon who sat with his back against a tree, Arya sat between his legs, her back agains his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her.

—

Arya was performing her watch duty when first light came. She kept her eyes on the door of the Inn and it didn't take long for the odd couple from the night before to make their way outside. While they waited patiently for their horses, Arya moved over to where Theon sat against a tree in a light sleep. She gently touched his shoulder and he woke up with a start. Once his eyes caught hers he calmed down, realizing where he was.

"Have they left yet?" Theon asked groggily.

"They're about to. We should probably make haste if we're going to follow them." She answered

"I'll wake up Olyvar." Theon stood up and brushed off any loose dirt from his pants. "You go keep on eye on the pair of them, make sure they don't slip away while we're not looking."

Arya gave him a small smile, she lifted herself on her tip toes and gave him a small unexpected peck on the lips. He barely had time to respond before she pulled away form him and simply said, "thank you." Then she turned back to watch the Inn through the trees.

Theon knew she wasn't just thanking him for walking Olyvar up. She had taken to thanking him often at the most random of times. He had a feeling it was because she felt guilty for dragging him along to help her find her sister and she was over compensating for that by showing her gratitude. What she seemed to fail to realize was that he would follow her anywhere and she didn't even have to ask. He looked over at her with a fond little smirk playing on his features.

Then he turned and stepped over to where Olyvar was sleeping as comfortably as he could sitting against a different tree. He nudged the other young man's leg gently with his foot. "Time to wake up."

"Already?" Olyvar murmured without opening his eyes.

"I'm afraid so." Theon answered.

With an over exaggerated sigh Olyvar opened his eyes and lifted himself off the ground. "I don't suppose we'll have any time for breakfast."

It had been a statement not a question, but Theon answered anyway, "I don't think so. We have a few of those apples we picked up at that farm a few days back. I suppose we could eat on the road." He said as he moved over to where Arya stood.

"I suppose that will have to do." Olyvar answered as he followed. He took a glance at the Inn and saw the tall woman and the young man readying their horses. They seemed to be having serious conversation as they did so. The woman appeared to be somewhat annoyed by what the boy was saying. "Is that them?" He asked. He stared a minute at the woman, something niggled at the back of his mind. Like he was missing something important, but couldn't quite think clearly about it, because he had just woken up.

Arya nodded her head. "We should probably stay off the road, we probably don't want them to see us." She looked down to Nymeria. "Hear that girl, we'll be following your lead today." Arya smiled a little as the wolf nudged against her hand in response.

They didn't have to wait long for the two to start off on the road. The pair walked their horses to the actual crossroads for which the Crossroads Inn was named for and then took a moment to discuss their options. Eventually they seemed to come to an agreement about where they should go and turned onto the Eastern Road. The trio waited several minutes before they followed after them, letting Nymeria take the lead.

"Perhaps they think your sister ran to your Aunt in the Eyrie." Olyvar whispered to Arya as they wound their way through the trees.

"It would seem the logical choice." Theon had put in.

Arya simply nodded her agreement. After those few initial comments they kept silent attempting to be as stealthy as they could be. The two hadn't mounted their horses yet, and for that Arya was grateful, but it was still tricky going. They couldn't be too far from the road, lest they lose sight of those they were following and yet they couldn't be too close either for fear of being found out. Despite the difficulty Arya thought that they had been doing a pretty decent job of keeping out of sight. That was until about an hour into their journey.

Suddenly, the woman stopped and then ordered her companion to come to halt. The both of them turned around to stare into the trees and Arya caught her breath._ Had they seen them?_ She didn't have to wait long to get that answer.

"You can come out." The woman called. "Even though I cannot see you I do know that you've been following us since the Inn." The three of them made no move to follow the woman's suggestion to come out of the trees. The woman huffed in frustration. "I have no wish to fight you, but I will if I think you mean us harm."

Before they could even discuss their next course of action, Arya moved to push her way out of the trees so that she stood several yards away from the woman, the boy, and their horses. Theon cursed under his breath, frustrated that she had acted rashly once again. If they were going to show themselves, he would have preferred that she hadn't gone first. He gave Olyvar a pointed look and saw he was just as annoyed with the Little Wolf Girl. Theon shook his head and then stepped out of the tree line after her, knowing that Olyvar was only a few steps behind.

When they all emerged, the tall woman and the young man seemed to study them carefully. The woman, obviously the one who was in charge, spoke up first. "Are there any more of you?"

The only answer they gave, was a shake of Arya's head in the negative.

"Who are you? Why are you following us?" Was the woman's next question.

Arya had no intention of answering her first question, and by way of answering the second, she simply asked a question of her own. "Why are you looking for Sansa Stark?" She asked firmly.

The woman looked at her companion before taking a closer look at the three people in front of her. "You were at the Inn last night," she said in recognition. "You over heard what we were talking about with that boy." She paused a moment, curious as why these three young people were so interested in the Stark girl. "I made a promise to someone that I would find her."

"Why, so you can bring her back to King's Landing?" Arya spat out.

The woman must have sensed her bitterness, "I promised to keep the girl safe. I do not think King's Landing would be safe for her. She's suspected of helping her husband, Tyrion Lannister, of killing King Joffrey. So I intend to keep her as far from King's Landing as I can. That is, if I can find her."

That seemed to take Arya aback. People thought Sansa was capable of murder? For a moment she wasn't sure how to respond to the strangers before her. Luckily at that moment Olyvar seemed to work out what it was that bothered him about the woman. He looked at her in astonishment. If he could have he would have hit himself over the head for taking this long to recognize her. She was such a unique woman that he should have figured it out much sooner than now.

"You're Brienne of Tarth." Olyvar exclaimed loudly. "You were Lady Catelyn's sworn sword." He ignored Brienne's astonishment and turned to Arya. "I saw her with Lady Stark before I left Robb's service. I'm sorry, I should have recognized her before."

"Are, are you sure?" Clearly Arya was stunned by such a revelation. When she saw that Olyvar nodded his head to tell her that he was sure. She turned her attention back to Brienne and was about to say something when her voice caught in her throat. Brienne had started to reach for her sword, clearly alarmed that they had figured out who she was.

Nymeria must have seen the threat that the tall woman posed and chose instantly to jump out from her hiding place to stand in front of Arya, Theon, and Olyvar. She bared her teeth, growling fiercely. To her credit, Brienne barely flinched when the large animal threatened her. Her companion however wavered slightly, but he stood his ground. The horses jostled in fear. Tension was thick in the air, Arya stared at Brienne, and Brienne just stared determinedly at the wolf. Then a shock of realization seemed to hit her.

"You're Arya Stark." Brienne said, bringing her eyes up to Arya, and taking her hand away from her sword's hilt. The wolf had been the give away, it was well known that all the Stark children had or at one time had a dire wolf as a pet.

That seemed to break the tension somewhat. Arya stepped forward touching Nymeria's back. "Nymeria, shh, it's okay. I don't think they'll hurt us." The wolf relaxed slightly, but still kept her eyes on the Brienne. When Arya was sure that Nymeria wouldn't suddenly attack she brought her attention back up to Brienne. There was no reason to try to hide their identity now, so she simply said to the woman. "You were supposed to exchange Jaime Lannister for my sister." It seemed like an accusation.

"I…" Brienne started, then paused trying to think of how she should continue. "By the time we reached King's Landing, it was too late. I had heard the news of what happened at the Twins and that your brother and mother were dead. I thought you were dead too and your sister was already married to Lord Tyrion. I was at a loss as to what I could do to help her." Again she paused, she closed her eyes as if it pained her physically, knowing that she had failed the Lady Catelyn. "I'm sorry I wasn't able act quicker." She was careful to leave out any mention of Jaime, she wasn't certain as to how Arya would react to the information that he had been the one to send her on this quest.

"But you're looking for her now?" Arya asked carefully.

Brienne nodded her head solemnly. "I vowed to protect her."

"For my mother?" Arya asked.

"For your mother." Brienne confirmed, again choosing again not to mention that she had promised Jaime the same thing.

For the first time Brienne's companion spoke up. "You should come with us." The other four looked at him curiously and he shrugged his shoulders as if what he was about to say made perfect sense. "You must be looking for Sansa too. It seems the only logical thing to do would be to travel on together. I'm sure we'd be able to help each other."

Brienne looked back to Arya. "My friend Podrick," she said motioning to the boy as if to introduce him, "has a point. The road would also be safer if we traveled together."

Arya studied both Podrick and Brienne wondering just how far she could trust them. It was a credit to Brienne that Catelyn seemed to trust the woman. But she knew nothing of the boy. She gave a hesitant sigh and looked over to Theon. He seemed to know that she was asking his opinion on whether they should tag along with those two. He shrugged his shoulders to show is indifference. It was clear they were headed to the Eyrie, and that was probably where the three of them would head as well. It made sense to share the road. But if Arya didn't feel comfortable with that, he would be fine with that too. The three of them had made it this far alone, he thought they could go a bit further. She turned to Olyvar to see what his thoughts were and he just nodded his head once to show that he was also okay with whatever she choose to do.

Arya seemed to have come to a decision. "We'll travel with you." She said carefully. "At least for a little while."

Brienne seemed relieved with that answer. Perhaps she could alleviate some of the guilt she bore for not being able to defend the woman she had sworn her sword to, nor that woman's eldest daughter. For now the youngest one would have to do. "We should go then. We waste time standing here talking." She watched as the three of them step closer to where Podrick and her stood with the horses. Thankfully, the wolf seemed to understand what was going on and slipped back into the trees before she made the horses any more nervous.

"Nymeria will follow us from a distance." Arya told Brienne when she noticed that the tall woman looked after her wolf curiously. "She senses when I need help, so if we're in any danger, she'll come to help us."

"She's a remarkable creature." Commented Brienne politely. "Perhaps you would be willing to introduce your other traveling companions. You already know Podrick."

Arya nodded quietly. It felt odd to use their real names around other people. She reached behind her and grasped Theon's hand, then pulled him forward so he stood next to her. "This is Theon."

Brienne nodded her head in greeting. She did not seem surprised that he was with her. It was assumed that they had escaped the Twins together. Then Arya nodded toward the other male she was with. "This is Olyvar."

This time Brienne did seem surprised. She had recalled that the boy recognized her from one of Robb's encampments and that he had been in service to Robb. And she recalled that Robb had a Frey boy as a squire by the name of Olyvar. It was easy for her to put two and two together. "Olyvar _Frey_?" She hadn't expected that the Stark girl would choose to travel with someone who had that particular sur name.

The boy seemed to look uncomfortable by that, "yes. That would be me."

"He's one of the _good_ ones." Arya cut in quickly, to come to his defense.

"Of that I have no doubt. I was just taken by surprise. I had heard that not all the Frey's were in agreement with what Walder did." Brienne said in an apologetic tone. "There are rumors that even one of his sons disappeared the night of the wedding. One who was supposedly loyal to the Stark cause. I assume they were talking about you."

"They probably were," Olyvar admitted.

With the introductions done the were ready to get underway. They still had a long way to go until they reached the Vale.

**Author's Notes**

To emilystark713: Thank you so much for your compliments and giving the story a shot despite my unusual pairing. I hope you continue to enjoy!

To: jean d'arc: I have gone back and forth about introducing Lady Stoneheart. Ultimately I decided I wouldn't for this story. At some point I wouldn't mind exploring the possibility of Arya coming face to face with her, but I don't think I can do it with this story. I don't want to use all my ideas on just one fan fic!

To ATP: You're not wrong. Eventually Arya will find out what happened to them. It will be coming soon.

To LocalXmusicXjellybeanX: YAY, I'm happy you like it. I hope you continue to enjoy.

To my French speaking reviewer: I'm so very happy you liked that last chapter. I was on the fence about it. I'm not used to writing the intense scenes. So this whole story has been a bit of a challenge. It's good to know it worked out so well. Thank you for reading!

To purple sky always: Thank you. Like I said before, this time around I'm choosing not to bring in Lady Stoneheart. Although since two of you reviewers mentioned something about her, I had to give it some serious thought, but ultimately I decided that it would be too challenging for me this time around. I hope that at sometime in the future I'll be able to write a fic with her in it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, I know I owe all of you one huge apology. And I am sorry. A couple of years ago I lost someone very close to me in the month of April, and I didn't realize it would still affect me the way it has this year. So, in all honesty, I haven't been in the mood to write as much as I usually do. Hopefully I'll be back to my normal self in a couple of days. I'm sorry this isn't that long of a chapter and there's no real Theon/Arya interaction, or any real action really. But I felt it was a scene that needed to happen. I was originally intending it to be part of the next chapter. But this was all I was able to write over the past few weeks and I wanted to get something up to assure you all that I have not abandoned this story. Again, I am sorry about the wait! I hope the next update will be up on Friday or Saturday.

**Chapter 21**

The days passed slowly as they traveled the toward the Eyrie. The road had become more and more difficult to traverse as the terrain became rockier as they made their way into the foothills. And as they had left the dangers of the random patrols of Frey men in the Riverlands, they were coming to a place where wild and scattered hill tribes liked to harass travelers on the road. They were all on high alert and Theon found himself happy for the extra two people who had joined their little group. He just hoped that Brienne of Tarth could use that fancy sword she wore at her hip and that Podrick could swing the ax that he carried.

But that didn't mean that Theon _trusted_ them. He knew that Arya and Olyvar felt the same way, they had whispered about their misgivings to each other when they thought Brienne and Podrick were out of earshot. They had all come to the same conclusion, that their new traveling companions were hiding something.

"I know that you must find it difficult to trust us." Brienne said to Arya out of the blue. "After what you have been through, I cannot say that I blame you."

It was on the fifth day they had all been traveling together. Arya and Brienne had been walking side by side. Podrick and Olyvar were ahead of them, walking the horses and talking quietly amongst themselves. Theon walked behind women, most of his attention was focused on spotting any potential threat along the road. But his ears picked up what Brienne had said to Arya and his interest was piqued, perhaps the tall woman was about to open up.

In response to Brienne's question, Arya just lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "You're right," was her simple reply and kept silent for a few moments as they continued to walk forward. "Trust has to be earned. As yet, you have done nothing to earn mine."

"Your mother trusted me." Briene commented.

"Just because you had her trust, does not mean that mine would be given to you freely." Arya said.

Again there was silence as Brienne allowed herself to process what Arya said. "And what must I do to earn this trust?" She finally asked.

Arya couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Well, you could start by telling me the truth."

"I have never lied to you," Brienne started to protest.

Arya turned her head slightly so she could give Brienne a pointed look, while still being able to pay attention to where she walked. "No, perhaps you haven't. But you aren't telling me_ everything_ either. I'm not stupid. You have spoken openly about your time on Renly Baratheon's King's guard, you even admit that you saw, what you think was a shadow that bore Stannis's face, kill Renly. You also don't mind talking about most of what you did in service to my mother. But whenever we ask you about your time on the road with Jaime Lannister and your time in King's Landing, you're hesitant to give too many details. I'm also observant. Don't think I haven't noticed that you carry a Valyrian steel blade and that the hilt just happens to have a lion's head on it. There are not many houses that can afford such a fine weapon, but the Lannisters can. You'll have to forgive me if I cannot believe this is all just a big coincidence. So you can see why it might be difficult to believe that you have, mine or my sister's, best interests at heart."

The young Stark girl had a point, Brienne couldn't deny that. "If you don't mine my asking," she said with just a hint of frustration, "why is it that you allowed Podrick and I to travel with you, if you don't trust our intentions?"

Ayra lifted her shoulders in a causal shrug. "Like you said, my mother trusted you, that's why you get the benefit of the doubt. It also lets me keep an eye on you, we're both looking for my sister, and I don't want to take the risk of you finding her first."

Brienne nodded her head, obviously agreeing with Arya's logic. "If I answered some of your questions, would I earn a bit of your trust?"

"It would be a start." Arya said.

Brienne fell into a silence, she knew she would have to choose her words carefully. It was several moments before she said anything, and Theon, who had been listening to the entire conversation curiously, wondered if she would even open her mouth again. Finally Brienne abruptly stopped walking, forcing Arya to do the same. Theon walked the few steps forward so that he could stand next to Arya. He let out a loud whistle to get Olyvar's attention.

When the Frey boy looked back and saw that the other three had stopped, he brought Podrick and himself to a halt as well. Olyvar looked at Theon, the unasked question, '_is everything alright?' _written plainly across his face. Theon nodded his head in reassurance and Olyvar knew that when the three of them finished their discussion, they would make there way to him and Podrick. So while they waited, he would continue to engage Podrick in small talk.

After the silent exchange with Olyvar was over, Theon and Arya looked expectantly at Brienne. There was a brief of tension, when Brienne reached for the hilt of her sword and then slid the blade out of its sheath. But before Arya could even think about reaching for Needle or Theon the dagger (taken from a dead Frey man back in the Riverlands) that he wore at his belt, Brienne simply held her sword in front her, the blade parallel to Arya and Theon. It seemed like she wanted to give them a chance to really look at it.

"Do you know what I named this sword when Jaime Lannister gave it to me?" Brienne asked the obvious rhetorical question carefully. She did not expect an answer, but she knew that the name of the gift bearer would cause them alarm, and she was not surprised when they took their attention away from the sword to look up at her sharply.

"Jaime Lannister _gave_ you this sword?" Theon asked, his voice dripping with suspicion. "Why?"

"He hoped I would be able to use it to defend Sansa Stark." She answered truthfully.

"Do you mean to find her and then bring her back to King's Landing?" Arya asked bitterly. "Were you going to present Theon and I as an added bonus gift when you gave Sansa back to the Lannisters?"

"I have no intention of taking anyone back to the Lannisters." Brienne said truthfully. "Jaime knew I would never bring Sansa back to King's Landing. I made an oath to your mother, that I would keep Sansa safe, he also made an oath to look after her safety. After Joffrey was killed, Tywin Lannister and the Queen were adamant about finding her because they thought that she had something to do with the murder. He knew she wouldn't be safe anywhere near his family."

"So he gave you a sword to find her and keep her safe?" Asked Theon full of disbelief.

"Among other things, but yes he did give me the sword for that reason." Brienne answered as she lowered the sword and returned it to its sheath.

"Why would he do that?" Arya snapped, she had hard time reconciling the man Brienne was talking about and the man who she had met so long ago back at Winterfell. The man who had pushed her younger brother out a window in order to keep his disgusting secrets.

"When your mother charged me with the task of seeing him back to King's Landing, we were captured by some of Roose Bolton's men, and as punishment for having a loud mouth, Jaime lost his sword hand." Brienne didn't feel the need to go into more detail. "I think he thought when that was taken from him, he lost the best part of himself and he was forced to really look at who he was. He did not like what he saw. I think he asked me to go looking for Sansa so he could restore some of the honor he lost over the years."

"Is that even possible?" Arya spat out.

Brienne let out a small sigh, "I'm not asking that you believe him to be a changed man, ultimately this is not about him. It's about me, and to some extent Podrick, and whether or not you can trust us. I told you who gave the sword to me, I could have come up with a story about how I got it, I did not have to tell you the truth. But I did."

For a few moments no one said anything. Both Theon and Arya seemed to be contemplating her story. They could not bring themselves to accept what she said about Jaime Lannister turning over a new leaf. However, it did cross their minds that maybe _she_ believed him to be a changed man. While that might make her a terrible judge of character, it didn't mean that she was a liar and they found themselves believing her when she said she was looking for Sansa to fulfill an oath that she gave Lady Catelyn Stark.

Finally, Theon was the first to speak, "what did you name the sword?" He asked, bringing the conversation back to her rhetorical question. "I would have thought that most Valyrian steel swords that fine would already have had a name."

Brienne shifted uncomfortably. "This one is a fairly new blade, given to Jaime by his father." She said quietly.

Arya's eyes narrowed, she knew that Valyrian steel was rare, and no one alive knew how to forge a _new_ Valyrian steel weapon. But she did know that there were some smiths who knew how to _reforge _the steel. "And where did Tywin Lannister get the steel to make this 'new' sword?" The pit that had formed in her stomach told her that she had a suspicion of what the answer might be.

Theon must have guessed, too. _"Ice."_ The name of the Stark's ancestral sword slipped out of his mouth in a bitter whisper. No one had ever told them what might have happened to the great sword that had been the in the Stark family for hundreds of years. He could feel Arya's body stiffen next to him.

Brienne wore an apologetic look as he nodded her head to affirm what Theon had said.

"Ice was much bigger." Arya said, her voice seemed void of any emotion. "Did Tywin have another smaller weapon made?"

"I believe he had another made and gave it to Joffrey as a wedding present." Brienne answered reluctantly. "I would assume that it was passed down to King Tommen now."

"Of course." Arya responded mechanically. She knew she should be furious, that her blood should be boiling. Instead she felt herself go numb. She couldn't even bring herself to be surprised that Tywin Lannister would destroy anything that was dear to the Stark family.

Theon looked at her, concern written across his face. "Arya…" he started as he reached for her hand.

"I'm okay, Theon." Arya answered him. She turned to look him in the eyes, hoping to give him some reassurance. "I…I just need some time." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before she pulled away from him. Without so much as another word she started to walk towards Olyvar and Podrick, who were patiently waiting for the rest of them.

Before Arya got too far, Brienne addressed her. "Arya, Jaime Lannister thought it would be fitting that a weapon forged from the sword that belonged to your family for generations would be used to protect your sister. I named the sword Oathkeeper." She said finally revealing the swords name. "I _will_ use this sword to keep my oath to your mother to keep your sister safe. And now I'm extending that vow to you. I swear that in my hand this sword will keep you and your surviving family safe, even if it means I have to give up my life."

Arya turned back to Brienne as she spoke to her. She managed to give the woman a small smile. "Thank you."

Theon frowned as he watched her walk away, not sure if her lack of emotion was a good thing or a bad thing. For now he would give her her space. With a sigh, he looked up at Brienne, who also seemed concerned for the Stark girl. "She'll be okay." He couldn't tell if he was trying to reassure Brienne or himself.

**Author's Note:**

To danceegirl92: My plans for Sansa and Baelish will be coming out in the next couple of chapters. I don't want to give away too much though.

To ConsistentlyRandom21: Thank you, always good to know I can offer a few surprises now and then. :)

To jean d'arc: No Hound, at least not in this particular story. I would like to write him at some point though.

To Suzy87: Thank you very much. Some of that stuff you hope happens… well… you'll see. Hopefully sooner rather than later, I will work to get these chapters up faster.

To LocalXmusicXjellybeanX: I thank you profusely for all the reviews you've left.

To Manu Ventimiglia: Thank you you for reading! I love that you love it!

To emilystark713: Thank you, I'm so sorry update too so long. I hope you didn't lose faith that I would get another chapter out. Another one will come shortly. I'm feeling my itch to write come back.

To my French Speaking reviewer: Olyvar is completely part of Arya and Theon's pack! I have one more little small part of a chapter with them on the road, so they won't have to worry about the dangers of the road for very much longer. If it helps the actor I kind of picture as Olyvar, is Logan Lerman, so you can reference him rather than Loras's Olyvar.

To the two anon guests: I'm sorry I waited so long to update. I will try my hardest to not let it happen again! Thank you both!


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** Another chapter…not quite as fast as I would have liked it to go up. But…last weekend was busy, you know with Avengers, Free Comic Book Day, etc. (Yes…I'm a geek. I don't apologize :) ) Then the actual week got busy. Oh and I am starting to reedit this monster of a story too… I'v noticed some errors that have been driving me crazy.

**Chapter 22**

On the morning after Arya had the enlightening conversation with Brienne, Ayra managed to get away from the group while they worked together to break camp. She didn't wander far, she was still within sight of the others, just far enough away that she wouldn't be bothered while she gathered her thoughts. Nymeria had followed her, much to the relief of the Brienne and Podrick's horses. Even though they had been around the wolf for several days, the were not comfortable with having the large predator in such close proximity. She also knew that having the wolf with her would make Theon, and probably now Brienne, feel a little comfortable about the distance Arya was putting between herself and the rest of them.

And Arya, she needed to get away from them, if only for a little while. She needed time to think about everything that Brienne had revealed to her. It surprised her to realize that even after the woman's story, she trusted Brienne, and by extension Podrick. Arya had a feeling Brienne had every intention of protecting the remaining Starks. It wasn't the two of them that was on her mind that morning.

No, it was Ice that was on her mind. After the initial shock of what she had heard wore off, and the numbness started to fade, she couldn't find herself angry. That surprised her too, what was in the anger's place was just…a deep and profound sadness. It seemed that every last bit of her family was being swept away. Her parents and Robb, were dead. That had already left a gaping hole within her heart. Not knowing what had happened to Bran, Rickon, and Sansa, only made that hole bigger. Her family home, gone and taken over by one of the most vile families in all of Westeros, another cut in her heart. Learning about Ice, her family's ancestral sword, her _father's_ sword, it was just another wound in an already broken heart.

Sure the wounds had been starting to heal, time had a way of doing that. She had Theon too, he was a powerful salve for her injured heart. Even Olyvar had some how found his way into her heart, he had filled a very small portion of the holes that could be found there. Who knew, maybe even Brienne and Podrick could have joined the little family she had started to create for herself given enough time. That sword and Brienne's oath certainly made it a possibility. There was a sort of justice in thinking that at least part of the her father's sword would be close by. But those wounds that littered her heart, even when they were healed, there would be deep scars that would never, ever go away and that made her sad.

Arya must have lost herself in these thoughts, because she had lost track of how long she was away from her companions. Theon knew that they would be ready to start out soon, so he walked over to where she stood, obviously preoccupied with whatever it was she was thinking about. When she didn't turn to look at him, he realized that she hadn't even noticed his approach. He reached out and gently touched her arm. "Are you alright?" He asked when she turned her head to look at him. He frowned when he saw the sadness swimming in her eyes.

At least Arya had made an attempt to offer him a reassuring smile, even if it didn't seem genuine. "I'm fine."

"Liar." He answered with a small smile of his own to show he was teasing her. He pulled her into a small embrace. "What Brienne told you about Ice, it got to you, didn't it?"

She nodded her head as she leaned into his body, taking the comfort he offered. "Maybe a little." She paused for a second before she continued. "I knew something must have happened to my father's sword, so I can't say I was surprised that some other less worthy family claimed it as their own." Her voice was petulant and maybe a little bit bitter, but she felt she had a right to talk about the Lannisters in such a way. She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess, just hearing about it reminded me once again of all that I lost."

"Understandable." He murmured to her, with a bit of a frown. He knew there was nothing he could really _do _for her. The normal platitudes of, everything will be okay and I know how you feel, wouldn't work on her. She just needed her time to grieve. The only thing he could offer her was to be there for her if she needed it. So he just held her for a few moments.

She was the one who pulled away first. She looked up at him, this time she was able to offer a real smile. "I'll be okay. I know you worry."

"I know you will be, you're my fierce Little Wolf." He answered her smile with a small one of his own. "And just to let you know, it doesn't make you weak to feel sad about what you've lost. You know that right?"

"I know." The smile fading from her lips. "But being sad can be exhausting."

"So can keeping your feelings all bottled up." He said off hand.

"I'm coping Theon, I think we're all doing the best we can." She gave him a pointed look, as if to tell him she was done talking about this topic.

"Okay, okay," He holding his hands up as if he were surrendering to her. He gave her a careful look, and because she knew he was still worried, she glared at him. When he saw the look she shot him he offered a small, amused smile. Then let out a small resigned sigh, before he changed the topic. "And what else to you think of our tall companion?"

"You mean about her relationship with Jaime Lannister?" She clarified.

Theon nodded his head, "Aye, do you still trust her?"

"Not as much as I trust you, or Olyvar," Arya shrugged, "but yes, I find I do trust her more than did before she admitted her ties to Jaime."

"My thoughts exactly." Theon agreed. "I don't think she knows how to outright lie, and she thinks herself honorable. She'll keep her promise to protect you." He gave a short pause. "There's probably something else you should know."

Arya raised her eyebrows, curious about what it was he wanted to tell her. "Oh?"

"Olyvar and Podrick had a conversation of their own yesterday. He found out that Podrick used to squire for Tyrion Lannister, before he came to be in service to Brienne." He told her, wondering what her reaction might be. He was surprised.

She let out a small snort of laughter. "I should probably be more upset about that." She said not bothering to hide her mirth. "But that's the least surprising thing I've heard from the two of them. How was Brienne lucky enough to acquire his company?"

"I suspect King's Landing wasn't a comfortable place for him after the Imp was accused of killing the King. I doubt it's very safe for any of the friends Tyrion might have had. He seems very loyal to Brienne now. I'm not sure there's much in the way of dishonesty to him either. His face seems to be an open book." Theon said.

Arya let out another deep sigh. "I suppose Tyrion isn't even the worst Lannister that Podrick could have served. At least that man is awaiting trial for killing that bastard king." She took her attention from Theon to Nymeria. She reached out a hand and Nymeria came forward. Arya scratched around her ears with a small frown before looking back up to Theon. "I suppose the others are waiting. We should probably go."

"Probably," he agreed.

She nodded her head , then Arya bid her daily farewell to Nymeria and watched as the wolf slip away from her. She would be happy for the time when Nymeria wouldn't have to stay out of sight and would be able to travel openly with her. "Alright, I'm ready." She turned and hesitantly started to walk back towards where their camp had previously been set up. Theon fell into step with her. She looked intently at the three people who were waiting patiently by the horses. She let a small chuckle escape her lips.

Theon gave her a sideway's glance. "Is something funny?"

"It's nothing." Amusement was still playing in her voice. "I was just considering that I might have awful judgment when it comes to the people I choose to associate with.

"I question your judgement daily, my lady." Theon said with a smirk, when Arya cast him a fake, offended glare, he laughed. "You fell in love with me didn't you?"

She scoffed at that, "I didn't intend to do that. It just happened." She nudged him lightly with her elbow, to show that she was merely teasing him. She kept her tone light. "But you have a point. Any outsider would think I'm mad, with me being in the company I keep. Let's take stock, my little group consists of you, who's father was in open rebellion against my brother, we have Olyvar, who's father betrayed and helped to murder my brother and mother, and Brienne and Podrick, who might be considered Lannister sympathizers."

Theon chuckled at what she had said, when she put it that way it certainly did _sound_ bad. But luckily rarely anything in the world was as black and white as she had made it seem. He suspected she felt the same way because she laughed right along with him. They were still laughing when they reached the trio that was waiting for them.

Olyver looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "What are you two going on about?"

Their laughter died down, and Arya let out an overly dramatic sigh, "nothing, really. Just the lack of confidence I have in some of the choices I've made." She didn't bother to elaborate any further, and just looked at them. "Shall we start out? The Eyrie won't get any closer if we're not moving."

With that, they started on their way. They seemed to be making good time, and all of them seemed to be in high spirits. Even Arya who had started the morning feeling melancholy was happy. She had guessed it wasn't too much longer before they reached their destination and hopefully Sansa. Sometimes, at moments like these, she almost felt normal again. It had been awhile since she felt in any immediate danger, and she had to admit that having Podrick and Brienne with them probably made them safer.

Arya and Theon were walking with Podrick that morning, in the hopes of getting to know the boy better. He didn't have any devastating admission to give them and he seemed to be someone who was eager and well meaning. Talking to him further made Arya more comfortable with him as the morning wore on. Now that everything seemed to be out in the open between the five of them. It seemed like tensions were eased.

Brienne and Olyvar were attending the horses. That particular morning they weren't riding them, they were simply walking them slowly up the road. They didn't hold a steady conversation with each other, but they managed a few polite words and the silences were not uncomfortable.

It was during one of the lulls in Brienne and Olyvar's conversation a few hours later that the peaceful nature of the walk was disrupted. A crude arrow had been shot at them, obviously it was aimed to miss and had instead embedded into the ground at Brienne's feet.

Brienne was quick to act, she dropped the reins to the horse and Oathkeeper was out within seconds. "Podrick, stick close to Arya." As Brienne said it, she wasn't sure if she was saying it to keep Arya safe, or Podrick. She had a feeling Arya could hold her own in times of danger, after all the girl had made it this far with only Theon and Olyvar's help.

Podrick didn't say anything but reached for the axe that was on his back and gripped it tightly. His eyes wildly looking around the surroundings when he noticed men, and he thought he saw a few women among them, starting to come out of hiding. "Hill tribes." He muttered under his breath.

The others had been fast two. Theon already had his bow out and an arrow notched, he was aiming at one of the men who also held a bow. Arya gripped Needle in her hand, a look of grim determination playing upon her face. Olyvar stood with his sword ready, next to Brienne anxiously waiting for what came next. He was surprised the that these savages hadn't just attacked them. Their little group of five was out numbered and probably would have been easily overwhelmed. They were also well armed with decent steel, which was a little surprising for the hill tribes.

One of the men stepped forward and gave the five of them a once over. "We'll take your weapons, the horses, and the women. If you do that without much fuss, we'll let the three of you live." He said obviously addressing Olyvar, who he must have thought was the leader of the small group.

Olvyar visibly paled. "I don't think we can allow that."

"Then, I guess we settle this the hard way." Said the hill tribe's leader with indifference. Then suddenly the man raised his sword and was about to lash out violently at Olyvar, who instinctively raised his sword to block the blow. But the blow never came, because Nymeria had once again picked the perfect moment to appear. She rammed into the side of the man, making him fall violently to the ground. She didn't bother going for the man's throat, she just growled at him and then let Olyvar do the rest of the work. Nymeria simply moved on to her next target.

Everything seemed to be a blur of chaos. Brienne fighting off one, sometimes two, attackers at a time. Theon managed to hit their archer with an arrow, effectively making it so he could no longer shoot, but he wasn't able to kill him. Eventually it became too hard for him to use the bow and he had to resort to the knife as a couple of the hill people came in closer. Arya and Podrick were both taking on a particularly large man, while Nymeria was intent on trying to keep others from joining that particular fight. All she had to do was snarl fiercely at them and the men seemed content to stay back.

At first no one seemed to realize that several mounted knights were about to enter the fray. Brienne's back had been to knights while she was taking on a more stubborn man from the hill tribes. Her sword was held in a defensive position when the man suddenly stopped attacking. A scowl clearly written across his face. Brienne was so surprised by this that she stared at him for a moment in complete confusion. The man she had been fighting whistled loudly to get his people's attention and suddenly all the fighting seemed to come to a halt. The man gave one last glare at the knights, then slowly he and his people started to fade back into the shadows they had come from. It was then that Brienne knew that there were people behind her and she quickly turned around, her face a mask of dread as she saw the knights. She was concerned about what these men's intentions might be.

Brienne held her sword up defensively, along with Olyvar who wasn't far from where she stood. Theon also stared nervously at the newly arrived people. His knife still held firmly in his grip. There was no way they would be able to fight off these men. Nymeria also seemed tense, she kept growling lowly, her eyes shifting from the shadows where the hill tribes disappeared and at the knights. It seemed only Arya and Podrick were the only one's who hadn't immediately realized what was going on. They only knew that the man they had been fighting had seemingly ran away.

"You know I could have had him, if you hadn't gotten in the way." Arya snipped at Podrick.

"He nearly took of your arm…twice." Podrick said back as mildly as he could. "If I hadn't been there, you'd be dead."

"That's not true. That's-"

"Arya." Theon hissed, interrupting what would probably have been a scathing comeback. He didn't bother looking at the bickering duo, his eyes still nervously on the armored men. One of them was dismounting a horse, and thankfully they didn't seem to be intent on attacking their little group.

That seemed to get both, Arya and Podrick's attention. They both looked at what Theon had been looking at, and instantly they sobered. It seemed they might have fallen into even more trouble.

The man who dismounted had yet to reach for his sword, and that alone put Theon at ease. Maybe they could talk their way out of this yet. But then he noticed how the man looked carefully at Nymeria and then curiously over at Arya. He held up his hands as if to say he meant them no harm. His eyes were still on Arya when he finally spoke. "You must be the other Stark girl."

Theon frowned, there went any chance of hiding who they were. Nymeria was in plain sight, and she was a dead give away that a Stark was near by. Not many people had dire wolves for pets. Theon was about to say something, when Arya beat him to it. She took a few steps towards where Brienne and Olyvar stood facing the new comers. Theon and Podrick looked at each other then simply followed the girl. Nymeria, who had stopped growling, trotted up to her master's side.

"What do you mean _other_ Stark girl?" Arya snapped at the man when she finally reached Brienne and Olyvar.

Arya, not knowing what he meant, seemed to surprise him. He responded, "I saw your sister only a few days ago. I would have thought you were on your way to join her."

This seemed to startle Arya, "you know where Sansa is? Who are you?" She demanded to know.

It was then that something seemed to click within Theon's mind. He recognized this man. A few years ago he had spent some time at Winterfell, if he remembered correctly he had been on his way to take one of his son's to the Wall so that he could take the Black. This man knew Lord Eddard Stark and Theon recalled that they had been on friendly terms. "You're Lord Yohn Royce." He said before the man could answer Arya.

Recognition seemed to dawn on Arya at that moment as well. "You knew my father." She remembered her father talking about this man. She even vaguely recalled meeting him a few years back. But at that time she was so engrossed in her own things that she barely acknowledged any of the grown lords and ladies her parents made her curtsy to.

"Aye." The older man said nodding his head. "I spent some time with him when he wardened with Jon Arryn. I recognized you too Lord Theon. I must say I'm surprised to see you." He said with a look that seemed to be appraising Theon.

Theon frowned at this, but only shrugged his shoulders at the man. "It shouldn't. I made my choice long ago. My place is with her." He nodded toward's Arya.

Arya hadn't paid attention to the last interaction, she seemed to be pondering this new development. The rest of her little group seemed to relax slightly, now that they realized there wasn't going to be any immediate fighting. "You saw my sister? She's okay?" Arya asked after a few moments of silence. She seemed to decide that this was a man they might have to tentatively trust. Especially if it meant that she would find out some information about Sansa.

Lord Royce nodded his head. "She seemed to be as well as can be expected. She's in the Eyrie, she's being," he paused her for a moment, "I'm sure she's being well looked after."

"What do you mean you're _sure_." Theon asked. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of the man's tone. Royce seemed to be concerned about something. "Isn't she with her Aunt?"

Again there was a bit of silence, before Royce spoke to Arya. "Your Aunt is dead, I apologize to be the bearer of bad news." The man said respectfully.

Arya didn't particularly care about this bit of news. She had never met her Aunt Lysa, she simply had no more sadness to extend to a stranger. But she was concerned about what it meant for Sansa. "If she's dead, who is looking after my sister?" She asked coldly.

"Well, you still have a cousin although he is a bit young, he does have a guardian. Your Aunt Lysa remarried before she died." Lord Royce frowned thoughtfully as he continued on. "Lord Petyr Baelish is now your uncle by law."

Brienne was the first to speak after this information was revealed. "Littlefinger?" She said the nickname in disgust.

"I don't trust him much either." Royce agreed. "But Lady Sansa seemed to be willing to place her trust in him. She could be in worse hands." He paused a moment and then curiously looked at Brienne. "And who might you be?"

"Brienne of Tarth." She answered carefully. She saw no reason not to be straight forward with him. "I served with your son Ser Robar, on King Renly's guard. He seemed an honorable man, my Lord."

Royce looked at the tall woman thoughtfully, and then nodded his head. It seemed there was a story there, and perhaps one day Arya would ask Brienne about it. But right now she was more concerned about her sister, so she interrupted the man's thoughts. "Is Sansa in danger there?"

"No." Royce recovered quickly. "I don't suppose she's in any immediate danger. Your sister trusts him. However, Lord Baelish is a schemer, and I don't know what game he has planned. Or if he has any intentions to use your sister as a player."

"It's true, my lady." That was Podrick who had spoken to Arya then. "Lord Tyrion, never trusted the man, even when he counted him as an ally."

Arya tried to temper her growing concern. Her sister was within reach, and it seemed Sansa's one protector was a dangerous man. "Then we must get to her quickly." Arya said, her tone betrayed the urgency she felt. "If we get to her, she'll know she has another option than this Lord Baelish."

"I'm not sure that would be wise Lady Arya." Royce said quietly. "If you go to the Eyrie, you will be at Lord Baelish's mercy. You and Lord Theon would be valuable prizes for him, I would think he'd want to keep you at the Eyrie as _honored _ guests. You probably wouldn't be able to leave, and the Eyrie is a difficult place to escape from."

"We cannot just leave her there." Arya snapped.

"I never said you should," said Royce calmly. His mind seemed to work quickly, it seemed to take only a few moments to formulate this plan. "Lord Baelish had promised to take your cousin on a tour of the Vale. Sansa is to accompany them. If you would be willing to wait a few weeks, they will make their way to Runestone, the seat of House Royce and my home. I would be willing to extend my hospitality to you and your friends if you wish to wait for her arrival there."

Theon narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him. "And why would you do that?"

Lord Royce shrugged his shoulders. "It's the least I can do for Lord Eddard Stark's daughters. But I understand your concern. I consider myself to be an honorable man, the same as your father." He said looking to Arya. "I'm not going to force you to come with me. I simply offer an invitation. You would have a comfortable place to sleep, warm food, and you would be safe. I swear to that, by the old gods and the new." He seemed deadly serious when he said that.

"Would we be able to keep our weapons?" Arya asked. She was skeptical of the offer, it seemed too good to be true. But it was also tempting. They had been on the road for so long, it would give them time to rest properly, to really stop and think about their next move. Hadn't she already told herself that they needed more allies if they were to survive in the long run. If Lord Royce was true to his oaths, than perhaps he would be a powerful ally to have.

Royce nodded his head.

"And we could leave whenever we wanted?"

Again he nodded his head. "At least ride with us as far as Runestone, if I haven't gained your trust, then we can part ways without you even having to step foot in my castle. It's only a few days ride from here. It might be out of the way if you decided to go to the Eyrie later, but I'm not lying about Baelish leaving that castle with your cousin and sister. You might even run into them should you decide not to stay at Runestone.

Arya gave him a long stare as if she was trying to assess his trustworthiness. Finally she looked to Theon, he didn't look happy about it, but he also knew this might be a good opportunity for them. And he did remember that Ned seemed to have a high opinion of the man. He nodded his head yes. The same answer was given from Olyvar when she looked to him. Then she looked to Brienne.

"I don't see what we have to lose except for a few days time and we weren't even certain Sansa was in the Eyrie to begin with." Was Brienne's answer.

Podrick just shrugged his shoulders. He would go along with what the group decided.

"Fine." Arya said reluctantly. She knew they would all be watchful of Royce and his men over the next few days. "We accept."

"Excellent." Royce said, finally allowing a smile to touch is lips. He eyed Podrick and then looked to Olyvar. "I don't suppose you would mind introducing the rest of your friends."

"Podrick Payne," Arya said motioning to him, and then to Olyvar. "And this is Olyvar Frey." She said offhanddly.

"_Frey."_ He said in surprise. "My dear girl, you do travel with interesting company." He said with a chuckle. "I'm sure there's a story there. Come on then, we have a bit of ride ahead of us. You can share the story while we travel."

**Authors Note:**

To jean d'arc: Thank you. I actually kind of found Brienne challenging to write!

To: Suzy87: Thank you. You have no idea how much you saying that means to me, especially lately where I've been questioning myself.

To: LocalXmusicXjellybeanX: I love getting your comments! Thanks.

To Anon guest: Haha, you're not the first person to tell me they don't necessarily agree with my pairing. What can I say I'm an odd one. I'm obsessed with the pairing. But I'm happy you still read and enjoy my story!

Andi: Thank you so much. So far the month has been better. And I'm glad you don't mind me taking my time. Sometimes I do get that block that I can't break through.


	23. Chapter 23

Author's note: Sorry guys for another long delay. I just can't seem to find my muse lately. I really am trying to be better. I'm in this weird place where I don't really like what I'm writing…I hope you guys find this chapter okay. Apparently if you ask me to write it…I will. I know a few of you have been asking for more Ayra/Theon interaction. This chapter has plenty. Also, this story is kind of pulling me in two different directions. If I go one way…the story will be a bit longer then I had planned it to go on. I'm still not sure if I want to go that way or if I want to end this sooner rather than later. (That indecision might be why I'm having a hard time writing right now)

**Chapter 23**

The few days it took their party to get to Runestone seemed to go by in haste. Arya supposed it was because for the first time in months they were safe, not just the illusion of safety, actually _safe._ They now travelled with armed men, who were there to protect them, not to hunt them. They weren't worried about where their next meal was going to come from. They also had a plan, one that didn't involve them blindly going somewhere and _hoping _that Sansa might be there. They knew where she would be, and they would be waiting at Runestone for her, comfortably.

Lord Royce proved to be amiable enough. He had stuck close to Arya and Theon on their journey. He realized he had to earn the trust of those two rather than the other three. They had more at stake if they were caught by less scrupulous parties. To his credit, he only wanted to help the young Stark girl. Even if it only meant giving her and her companions food and shelter for a short time. While they traveled he talked openly about himself, answered any questions that were asked of him, and told Arya and Theon stories about a young Eddard Stark. It was all very bittersweet for Arya, but in the end he managed to earn a little bit of their trust.

That was why when they were finally within sight of Runestone, everyone gave a small sigh of relief. Lord Rocye had brought the party to a stop. He looked curiously at Arya and Theon who had been riding next to him. "I've ordered the men who are with me not tell anyone else who the two of you are, or that Frey boy with whom you travel. You should probably come up with different names to use. I have no doubt people are still looking for the lot of you. And while I trust the men with me here now, I can't say the same for my entire household. I also don't think you want Petyr Baelish knowing your true names. I would suggest you claim that you come from some minor branch of one the noble houses of the Vale so far removed from any real power that Baelish won't have heard of you. But you'll still have an excuse to be at Runestone, Arya as a companion for my daughter and Olvyar and Theon as friends to my son."

"And Brienne and Pod?" Asked Arya.

"They can probably keep their names, they have no reason to stay hidden." Royce said.

"Podrick might be a bit of a problem." Theon mentioned thoughtfully. "He used to squire for Tyrion Lannister, he would know who Sansa is, and if Sansa is still being sought after by the Queen for Joffrey's murder then Sansa might be worried about someone who would know who she was. It might make Lord Baelish nervous."

"Brienne might be difficult too." Arya put in. "She was at Joffrey's wedding, Sansa might recognize her too."

"Hmm." Lord Royce seemed to give this some thought. "Then maybe the Lady Brienne and Podrick should not be at Runestone when Lord Baelish and his party arrive. Perhaps they can spend some time in Gulltown. But I suppose we can plan that later, after we've had a decent meal and we've been rested. You two should probably think of your names."

"I suppose Olyvar is a common enough name, he can keep it." Theon shrugged. "I could go by Jon, I'm sure that name is used often enough in the Vale."

Arya frowned, "I could go by Jeyne. There are Jeyne's everywhere in Westeros." Then she looked to Lord Royce. "Any suggestions on what house we should claim to be from?"

Royce seemed to give this some thought, then said, "Tollett, would be just as good as any other I suppose. I don't believe Baelish is friendly with that family, so he won't know any of the members on a lesser branch. I suppose you could all pose as cousins. I don't expect there to be much trouble, Baelish probably won't even pay you much mind, just be careful what you say around him, he 's a slippery one."

"With any luck we won't be around him too much." Arya said with a frown.

"Don't worry Lady Arya, you're under my protection now. If he ever suspected anything he would not dare try anything within my home." He said and then coaxed his horse back into a trot and the others followed suit. "We'll be arriving at Runestone shortly." He said after a few moments of silence. "You should probably tell the others about your new identities and tell Olyvar he has a new family name. And I'm sure you'll not want to arrive there with your wolf following you around, she'll be an easy give away. Will it be safe if we let her roam the lands around the keep? Will she stay out of sight?"

Arya nodded her head. "She'll be fine, she knows when to stay hidden. She'll need to hunt, but she won't attack anyone unless they threaten me, or those who are close to me." She hated that she would have to be parted with Nymeria but she knew it was for the best, she was just too recognizable. At least she knew the wolf would be watching over her from afar.

"Good," Royce said. "Then I'll leave it to the two of you to talk to your companions."

—

They had reached Runestone in the early afternoon and the first things that had been offered to the travelers were a warm bath and a change of clothing. Once the dirt and grime of the road were washed off of her, Arya felt like a new person. She didn't even complain too much when she realized that she had been given a dress to wear. Once the plain dark green dress was on and her hair had been rebraided, a serving girl knocked on her door. Arya bid the girl to come in, just as she was cinching her sword belt around her waist. Needle was one accessory she was not going to live with out.

"M'lady, dinner will be served soon." The girl looked curiously at Arya's sword, but said nothing if she thought it odd that a lady would choose to arm herself. "I've been asked to escort you to the dining hall."

Arya had been about to correct the girl about calling her 'my lady' but quickly remembered that the hadn't given any of the people in Royce's household their names except for the men-at-arms who had escorted them there. So instead she offered the girl a sheepish smile, "alright, lead the way then."

It took them only a few moments to reach the hall and the servant girl left her at the door with claims that she had to go and help with the meal's preparation. Once the girl was out of sight, Arya slipped quietly in the room expecting more than the single person that stood near the fire place. She knew instantly who it was that stood there, with his body rigid and tense, and his attention seemingly on the flames that danced before him.

She walked quietly over to where Theon stood, clearing her throat lightly to announce her presence. He turned to her quickly, and his body seemed to lose a bit of the tension it held when he saw her. He allowed a grin to touch his lips when he looked over her new attire. "You clean up well, Little Wolf. I see they've put you in a dress again."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "At least it doesn't smell like sweat and dirt, nor stained with blood. I'd say it was an improvement on my old outfit. Even if it isn't practical."

"You've managed to keep Needle close." He said, his voice full of approval. "That makes me feel better, knowing you're armed when I'm not around. Even if we're around people who claim to have our best interest at heart."

"Is that why you seemed so serious when I first walked in here." She gave him a teasing smirk. "You're concerned I can't take care of myself without you looking out for me?"

He let out a small scoff. "You know, that I know, that you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself." He reached for her hand and entwined her fingers with hers. He tugged her gently so that she stumbled lightly into him. He let go of her hand placing both hands on waist. His gaze became a bit more serious. "I just remember the last time you were out of my sight for any significant amount of time terrified me. I suppose I'm not exactly used to being in a place that offers any kind of safety."

She held his gaze and the longer she did so, it seemed to intensify. His grip on her seemed to tighten as if he was worried she might just disappear. Her heartbeat seems to speed up slightly. While they had been close while they had traveled, it had never been this intimate. Olyvar was always around, and then Brienne and Podrick. She lifted one hand to his shoulder and clasped it gently as if to tell him she wasn't going to go anywhere. Her other hand and let her fingers trace over his cheek.

She had noticed his cleaned up appearance earlier, but did not comment on it like he had of her. She only did so now because she did not know what else to say to break the tension that had grown in the air. When she spoke it was only just above a whisper, "you've shaved."

A smile ghosted across his features, "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware it mattered to you. I can always grow it back if you like." His voice was also low, scared that if he talked any louder the moment would be broken. He knew that even though they were alone right now, someone could walk in at any moment. He wanted to savor this small moment alone with her for as long as he could.

She mirrored his smile and let the pad of her thumb run across his lip. She let the smile widen, a bit satisfied with herself when she felt him shiver under her touch. "It's alright, I actually like being able to see your face."

It appeared that Theon hadn't even paid attention to what she had said, he was far to distracted by her touch and that self satisfied smile she wore. In that moment he really wanted to kiss her, _really_ kiss her, not the little pecks they had given each other when they thought Olyvar wasn't paying attention to them. It felt like he hadn't kissed her in ages. So he did, without so much as a thought about whether people might come into the dining hall or not, he leaned down and gently placed his lips upon hers.

The kiss started out soft, it lingered that way for a few seconds, it felt almost as if the two of them were reacquainting themselves with each other, at least with this particular aspect of their relationship. Then just like that all the pain and sorrow that they had endured the past few weeks, all the fear of being caught or betrayed, it all just disappeared, if only for a little while, simply because they found a few moments to be alone. It didn't take long for them to feel comfortable with each other again and the kiss deepened. Her fingers that had danced across his cheeks soon found themselves tangled up in his hair and her other hand moved to cup the back of his neck as he pulled her closer to him so that she was enveloped completely within his arms.

They were so wrapped up in each other they they didn't hear anyone else enter the hall, at least not until the heard very loud and very fake cough that was meant to get their attention. They jumped apart, embarrassed that they had been caught up in such a moment in a place that was so obviously public. They both looked sheepishly over to who had interrupted them. They were greeted with the the faces of Olyvar, who was desperately trying not to laugh, and a very amused Podrick.

"Sorry, were we interrupting something?" Olyvar asked, in a fake innocence that made Arya roll her eyes. It also seemed he was no longer able to hold back his laugher and he let out a chuckle.

"Shut up," Arya snapped at him in hopes of ending his laughter. But it only seemed to fuel it and to make matters worse Podrick added his own laughter.

"I think she might be blushing." Commented Olyvar.

At least Podrick had the good sense not to say anything, but he did manage to sneak a look over at Arya to see if she was in fact blushing. Unfortunately for him he also made eye contact with her and was on the receiving end of a very annoyed glare. He cleared his throat to hide any sound of amusement that might escape his mouth and then brought his eyes down to the floor. "I think you might be mistaking, I see no blush." Podrick replied wisely.

Theon while is initial reaction was one of embarrassment, was now finding the humor in the situation. After all, they had done nothing wrong, she was no longer promised to someone else, they had no need to keep their feelings for each other a secret. Olyvar had known about them for a few weeks and he was fairly certain that both Podrick and Brienne had figured it out for themselves. So he felt there was no need to be embarrassed about showing his affection. He couldn't help but let out a small snort of laughter. "I don't know." He said carefully as he lifted his index finger to Arya's cheek. "There might be a little pink there." His tone was teasing and he gave her a wink.

Arya batted away his hand. It was clear that she was not amused. "I am _not_ blushing."

"What I think she's trying to say, Theon," Olyvar spoke, "is that your kisses are hardly blush worthy."

This did seem to amuse Arya and a smirk slowly came to her lips. "Yes, that's _exactly_ what I'm saying."

Even Podrick had to let out a little snort of amusement at that. Theon just managed to match her smirk. "Careful, my lady, I might just take those words as a challenge to prove you wrong."

Her smirk faded slightly, as she looked into his eyes. While his tone was light, there was a thinly veiled heat in his gaze that told her just how much he had enjoyed that last kiss. She seemed to realize that he would make good on that promise if she pressed him on the issue. The thudding of her heart seemed to be an indication that she wouldn't really mind if he did. Just not while they were in front of Podrick or Olyvar, or anyone for that matter. She managed to put on her best glare, even if there was no conviction behind it and simply said, "you wouldn't dare."

It did occur to Theon that she might be a little more hesitant to be so open with their feelings. She was after all a little younger than he was and the only true model of a relationship she had, had been her parents. They had always showed more discretion when it came to public displays of affection. While he was far more used to being open in his previous associations with women.

Theon allowed his smirk to soften into a smile, "of course I wouldn't." He leaned forward to kiss her gently on the forehead. Then lowered his voice to a whisper only she could hear. "At least not in the company of others, Little Wolf."

This time she did feel her face get hot and she knew for certain he had made her blush. Thankfully everyone else's attention was shifted to the three people who choose to enter the room at that moment. Brienne was the first to enter, looking very uncomfortable in an ill-fitting dress. She was followed by Lord Royce and a man who Arya assumed to be his eldest son.

Her assumptions were proven right only seconds later when Yohn Royce introduced them to his son and heir Andar. He would be the only other person besides Yohn and the men-at-arms who escorted them to Runestone, who would know who Arya and her companions really were. Yohn had deemed it fitting for Andar to be included in whatever plans they might make, considering it might impact the Royce family in the future and Andar was the heir.

Once the introductions were complete, they all sat down and waited for their meal to be served. They talked of mundane things while the servants fluttered around them placing trays of food and pitchers of drink on the table. Once the the food was served and the staff had cleared out of the room, they started to talk of more serious matters.

"I shall introduce you to my daughter Ysilla tomorrow." Yohn said, starting the conversation. "She would have normally joined us for supper, but I had a feeling we would want to discuss things that you would rather we kept more secretive."

Arya nodded her head in understanding and politely said, "I look forward to meeting her." There was a pause in the conversation. On their way to Runestone, they hadn't talked much about the stat of affairs in Westeros, instead they talked mostly of what had happened to Arya and her friends over the past few months. They had also talked about Yohn and his family while he was trying to gain their trust. She had always wanted to ask him about news from the North, but she had never gotten around to it while they traveled. As she sat there now, she couldn't help but wonder if she had put off questioning him because she was afraid of what that news might be.

After a few more seconds of silence she finally she cleared her throat and asked, "has there been any news from Winterfell? We've only heard rumors and speculation since the wedding, nothing that would be considered reliable."

Andar shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Any news from the North has been inconsistent, at best."

"Roose Bolton is trying to solidify his power in the North, with the help of his son, he's been trying to get the Northern lords to fall in line under his rule and it seems the Crown has left him to his own devices. There have been whispers of those who try to defy him being flayed alive. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but I have a feeling the North is very different from the one that you remember." Yohn said solemnly.

Arya looked down at her food, and promptly lost her appetite. It seemed like those around the table felt much the same way. From beside her, Theon moved his hand to cover hers, offering what little support he could. He knew she was worried about her brothers and what might have happened to them under the care of these brutal men.

Quietly, Theon asked, "what about Winterfell, specifically Bran and Rickon?" The two men hadn't answered that question yet.

"Ramsay Bolton took control of Witnerfell around the time of the wedding. He massacred most of Winterfell's men-at-arms." Yohn answered.

Arya's heart clenched at the thought of Ser Rodrik, knowing that he would have fought for her family until his very last breath.

"For a time Roose Bolton claimed to have kept your brother's hostage." Andar put in. "I suppose he wouldn't dare kill them out right for fear that the rest of the North might rise up against them. They are after all the last male heirs of House Stark."

"A few weeks ago, we got information saying that the Stark boys disappeared from Winterfell." Yohn said quietly, looking at Arya with sympathy. "It seems they tried to escape with several other servants who were loyal to the Starks."

"What happened to them?" Arya whispered hoarsely.

"Lord Bolton claims they sent out search parties to look for them." Yohn said, "but they couldn't find them in time. They claim to have found the remains of two young boys. They say that there is evidence that shows that your brothers dire wolves turned on them and killed them. They've kept what they could find of the bodies to use as evidence to support their story."

"And now all the Starks are dead or disappeared, giving the Bolton's complete control of the North." Olyvar said quietly.

Arya went completely still as she ran the through Yohn's words in her mind. She could feel Theon tighten his grip on her hand. She knew he must be watching her carefully, readying himself for whatever her reaction might be. Her eyes looked down at the uneaten meal in front of her. She was vaguely aware that the others were talking quietly around her. But she didn't keep up with their conversation, she was still parsing the information that Lord Royce had given her.

Finally she blurted out. "What about the people who were with my brothers? What happened to them?" She had remembered that before they left Winterfell, that Theon told her he had made arrangements for her brothers to flee Winterfell should they need to. She knew that the Reeds and Osha, at the very least, would have gone with them. There was a chance that even Theon's sister would have escaped too. "Have the Bolton's explained what happened to the Reeds? To Yara Greyjoy?"

Both of the Royce men frowned. "No one has ever mentioned what happened to Howland Reed's children. Nor what has happened to your sister Lord Theon. Perhaps the Bolton's have already ransomed them back to their families. They would both be good bargaining tools. Howland would submit to the Boltons to get his children back and Balon Greyjoy might end his rebellion to protect his daughter."

"But no one knows for sure." Stated Arya. Looking at Yohn to nod his head to show that her assumption was correct.

Theon seemed to understand where her line of thinking was going. A small hopeful smile started to form upon his lips. "And the Bolton's only found the remains of two young children, no one else?"

"We only heard reports of the children." Andar said.

"Then I don't believe their story." Arya said simply. "There's too many holes. The largest one being that the wolves would turn on their masters."

The Royces look perplexed by that. "But they are wild creatures, surely they can't be completely tamed." Yohn said.

"I can't explain the bond that we have with our wolves, Lord Royce." Arya said quietly. "But I know they would never hurt us. It's almost like they are an extension of us, they can sense when we're in danger, they know our moods. I know it must sound strange, but it is true."

"I've witnessed it with Robb Stark and his wolf, and with Arya and Nymeria. And I've never felt any fear around either of those wolves." Olyvar said, giving weight to what Arya had said. "Even in the heat of battle Grey Wind would have never turned on Robb."

"Do you think your brothers are still alive, my lady?" Podrick asked of Arya curiously.

Arya refused to give up any hope on what remained of her family. "I believe it's a possibility. We do not know where the Reeds or Yara Greyjoy are, they might be with Bran and Rickon."

"Osha would probably be with them too, and Hodor to help carry Bran." Theon murmured from beside her, there seemed to be a spark of hope within him as well. "Maester Luwin probably had them use the escape plan I helped to come up with. They could have gotten away even before Ramsay took control. The Bolton's could have been lying about having Bran and Rickon from the start."

Andar looked perplexed. "I suppose it could have happened this way."

"Where would they have gone if they did manage an escape?" Brienne asked.

"To one of the houses that is more loyal to the Starks." Theon said quickly. If it had just been the five of them, Theon would have told them outright that he had told Maester Luwin to send Bran and Rickon to the Umbers if they needed to escape. But he was still cautious around the Royces and he didn't want to give away all their secrets.

"Once we have Sansa, I want to go North." Arya said. "I want to find my brothers."

—

Once the discussion about the youngest Starks was over, they managed to keep the conversation light. While Arya had gotten to know Yohn Royce a little bit while traveling with him, she was able to learn even more about him as she watched him at home and how interacted with his son and his servants. She was also given some insight into who his son was as well.

While she had a feeling these men were as honorable as they portrayed themselves to be, there was still a part of her that would never trust them. She wondered how she would have felt about those men if she hadn't been forced to live through that damned wedding, Would she have been more trusting of them? Would she now always think that everyone she met was somehow out to harm her or those she cared about? As she sat there, in that room, with those people, she realized just how much the world had changed her over the past few months. She quietly sat there for a moment, wondering if she liked this untrusting, hardened version of herself.

Theon must have noticed that she was starting to loose herself in her thoughts. She had become quiet and he could tell she was no longer paying attention to the conversation. The others hadn't noticed, but he did, and he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Are you okay?" After they were done eating his hand somehow found it's way back to hers while they chatted with their hosts. He gave her hand small squeeze when she gave him a small smile as if to tell him she was fine. "Are you tired? I can walk you back to your room. It's getting late, I'm sure no one would mind."

Subtly, Arya gave nod of her head. Then she turned to Lord Royce, "if you'll excuse me. All the traveling has caught up to me, I'm getting a bit tired." It was a small lie, she wasn't tired, but she did want a few moments of peace and she wouldn't get that if she stayed there. She slowly started to stand up.

"Of course my lady." Responded Yohn he said as stood up as well. "I understand completely, it's been a long journey for you. Would you like someone to escort you back to your room?"

"I can walk her back," Theon offered quietly as he stood up next to her. "I'm about ready to retire as well. And I think I remember the way back to the guest wing."

"Very well." Yohn agreed and then with a smile, "should you get lost I'm sure you'll run across someone who can point you in the right direction."

Theon and Arya said their good nights and then he led her out to the hall way. He waited until he was sure that they were alone and then whispered to her. "You got quiet back there. What were you thinking of?"

"It wasn't anything important." She shrugged her shoulders, "I was just realizing how much I've changed. I'm not the same person I was when my father left for King's Landing."

"I'm not either." Theon said as he started to lead them toward's their rooms. "I suppose some people would call that growing up."

She let a small smile touch her lips, "I guess you have a point. But I doubt most people have had to live through what we did."

"Fair enough." He admitted. "But you survived it, and that's pretty damn impressive Arya Stark. Sure you have your scars, but I doubt anyone else could have carried on like you did. Seven hells, you're still fighting to find the rest of your family. So yes, you may have changed. You might not be that little girl that I fell in love with, but I still love the woman you've grown into."

Arya canted her head to the side, and cast him a thoughtful glance as they walked along. "Thank you." It was all she could think of to say. It still amazed her sometimes, how well he knew her. He said the exact thing she needed to hear, even she hadn't realized that she needed to hear those words.

"You don't have to thank me for simply telling you the truth." He answered, then let the conversation fall into silence. When he spoke again, it was to change the subject. "So, what do you think of our hosts?"

"I think they want to help, and I'm willing to use their help in order to reunite with Sansa." She said quietly. "But I feel the less they know about our plans after we leave here the better. I'm glad you didn't tell them that you thought my brothers might have gone to the Umbers at the Last Hearth. I'd rather no one know our next move except for us."

"My thoughts exactly." Theon agreed. "We'll talk to Brienne, Podrick, and Olyvar tomorrow about our plans." They soon found themselves in the hallway where their rooms were and only a few seconds later they were standing outside the door to the room Ayra had been given. He looked down at her seriously. "Do you really think your brothers are still alive."

"Of course I do." She said almost immediately. "If I allow myself to think anything else, I might allow myself to break down, and I can't do that. I have to think clearly if we want to save Sansa from that man that everyone seems to loathe."

He lifted his hand to touch her left temple, then let his finger trace down her cheek. "My brave, fierce Little Wolf." His finger moved from her cheek to her chin so that he could tilt her face up to his so that he could give her a gentle peck on the lips.

She raised an eyebrow at the chaste kiss he had given her, it seemed she had been expecting more from him. "Is that how you plan to make me blush?" She referenced what had happened earlier before they had supper, almost as if she was challenging him.

A surprised smirk came to his lips almost instantly. "My lady, if you recall, I told you I would attempt to make you blush when we were alone. We're still in a place where anyone could just walk by. If I had known you wanted me to make you blush, I would have remedied that little problem."

He took her hand with one of his and with the other he unlatched the door that led to her room and pushed it open. He stepped through the threshold and gently pulled her in after him. The only light came from the fireplace that one of the servants must have lit so that the room would be warm when Arya returned. He turned to look at her in the dim light, and even though her face was partly in the shadows, he could read the expectation in her features. He did not want to disappoint her, so he let go of her hand and placed it at her hip. He pulled her gently too him, her hands moved up so that her palms rested upon his chest, and his other hand cupped the back of her neck.

To Arya, the seconds seemed like minutes while she waited for him to crash his lips against hers. Her heart thudded in her chest when he finally did. She hadn't realized just how much she wanted this moment to happen until they found themselves standing in the hallway outside her room. From the way he was kissing her she could tell that he wanted it just as much as she did. When he kissed her Theon hadn't started it out gentle and chaste, only to let it build up like he had done in the dining hall. No this one started out at the height of passion that left her practically breathless and her brain foggy.

Theon wasn't exactly thinking clearly either. His mind seemed centered on the fact that they were finally alone, and this time their chances of being interrupted were slim. He could feel her body tremble under his hands, and he wondered if maybe things were going too quickly for her. For a brief moment he entertained the thought of breaking the kiss, of slowing this down so that she would be more comfortable. But then he felt her tongue brush over his bottom lip and realized that she was trembling because she was exhilarated.

This only enticed him to go further, he pressed himself more firmly against her, so that she was flush against his body. Her hands that had still been resting on his chest, along with her forearms were now caught awkwardly between their bodies. It was uncomfortable and she clutched at the fabric of his shirt, frustrated because she knew that if she wanted to move her arms she would have to pull away from him and she did not want to break the spell that seemed to have come over them.

Eventually they did need air, and with great disappointment she broke the kiss. Arya looked up at him, trying to gather her thoughts so that she could say something to him. "Breathe…air…needed some…" she said, still in a bit of a daze.

Theon couldn't help the smirk that was slowly forming on his mouth. He kind of liked the fact that he could put her in this state. "Have I made you speechless?"

She could hear the self satisfaction in his voice. She desperately wished she had some snarky remark to deflate that ego of his, but he had not been wrong. He _did_ make her speechless, and it embarrassed her that anyone could do that to her. She tried to give him a withering glare, but her heart wasn't in it and she simply pulled away from him and turned her back so he wouldn't see her embarrassment. It was then that she noticed they had neglected to close the door, anyone could have caught them.

"Thank the gods no one saw us." Arya muttered under breath. She took the few steps towards the door, closing it firmly. She just stood there and stared at the door, not sure on what she should do next.

Theon allowed the silence to linger for a few moments, before he started to miss the feeling of the warmth her body provided when he held her. So tentatively crossed the short distance to where she stood with her back to him. He had a feeling she might be embarrassed that he had teased her. Instantly his hands went to her waist and he leaned down to whisper in her ear gently. "You have no reason to be embarrassed. You muddle my thought's too."

A smile ghosted across her lips at his words, "I do." Of course she knew that she did, but it pleased her to hear him admit it.

"Absolutly." He said then dipped his head lower to kiss the side of her neck.

He was grateful for the fact that her hair was braided, it would have been annoying for him to have to brush away her hair when he so desperately wanted to feel her skin under her lips. He must have found a sensitive spot at the base of her neck, because she tilted her head to the side so that he could have better access. His lips parted slightly and he let his tongue trace over the spot gently. He smiled a little when he felt her breath hitch and she leaned back against him. Without thinking, he moved his hands to clumsily undo the sword belt that she wore.

When her Needle clattered to the floor, he felt her body begin to shift. He lifted his head realizing she was turning around so that she faced him once again. Almost instantly her arms were around his neck and her lips were upon his once more. Instinctively, he tightened the grip he had on her waist. He started to walk backwards, toward where the bed was, pulling her with him, all without breaking the kiss. When the back of his knees hit the bed, they buckled and he tumbled backwards landing on the bed. Arya also lost her footing and fell forward on top of him. That was enough to break the kiss and they both couldn't help but let out a little laugh.

When the laughter died down, they both looked at each other with a serious expression. They seemed to both understand where this night might lead them. Theon reached up to touch her face lightly, as he looked her in the eyes he realized that this was going to be different than any other time he had bedded a woman. This would be the first time he actually loved or even respected the girl. "I'm not going to stop us this time." He said quietly. "That is…I'm not going to stop…unless you want me to."

She gave him a small smile. "You realize I want this as much as you do."

"You're sure," he asked, "because there will be no coming back from this."

She moved slightly so that she had a leg on either side of his waist and straightened up so that she kneeled over him. She looked down at him, an amused look played on her face. "Are you worried about my virtue Theon Greyjoy?"

He chuckled a little, but his eyes were still serious. He lifted himself up to a sitting position and she slid back so that she was sitting on his lap while facing him. "Of course I am."

"You do realize there is only one person who I would allow myself to be married to." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "I don't want anyone else."

This time his smile was a little more genuine. "Does that mean that at some point, you _will_ marry me?"

"Probably." She said flippantly. "I could say the vows for you now if you wanted."

"That wouldn't make us married." He said in amusement.

"It would be good enough for me." She said with a shrug. "Would it really matter to anyone else besides the two of us?"

This time he couldn't help but laugh a little. "I'm sure it would to someone, we're noble born, someone would care somewhere. It's all about politics."

"Then we'll find a septon or a heart tree, or something to make it binding." She answered back. Then paused a moment before she gave him a serious look. "But for right now, we're the only two people in this world that matter. And I am yours, and you are mine."

He could see in her eyes that she meant the words that she said to him. _Gods he loved this girl._ "I am yours, and you are mine," he murmured back to her.

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. He stayed that way only for a few seconds before he kissed her again, this time knowing that he wouldn't have to stop when it became too heated. He easily dropped back so he was lying down on the bed, and he took her with him. That night they gave themselves to each other and for the first time in a long time, they both felt complete.

**Author's Note:**

LocalXmusicXjellybeanX: Once again thanks for your reviews. I love them!

ATP: As you can see…the Bolton's still took Winterfell, the jerks. Bran and Rickon are missing…so things are still a bit bleak.

Suzy87: You're reviews always make me feel so confident when I'm done reading them! Trust me, writing some of this stuff is not effortless, but I like to think that I can make it seem that way. :) Oh… do I have ideas for Littlefinger…

Jean d'arc: Thank you for the review. And thank you for sticking with this story even though it's taking me so long to write it!

Malyx Blackfyre: I don't know if I should hate you or thank you. Why would you give me ideas that would just make things go so badly for Arya and Theon?! (Even if they might make for a good story….) Thanks for the review.

Senpen banka: Thank you. I love that you are enjoying it!

Cass113: So I don't think this is going to be a mature story…probably because I'm not confident in my writing thus far to actually be able to tackle that material. (It doesn't embarrass me at all… so no need to be sorry.

My French Speaking reviewer: I'm happy you like Logan as Olyvar. I thought he was kind of perfect. And I put a little more romance this chapter between Arya and Theon. I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for the reviews and for sticking with me. ( ;) Merry Christmas again!)

Emilystark713: Sorry it took so long again! (I'll try to be better!) Also…I'm happy you're enjoying my Arya and Theon.

Gentle Blossom: Thank you so much! Ayra is my FAVORITE character. It took me awhile to like Theon…like two read throughs of the books and Alfie Allen's portrayal of him. Now I adore him for his complexities and pity him for his choices, and sympathize him for what he's been through. (I want a dire wolf too by the way) I do have ideas for a story where the Red Wedding doesn't happen…maybe once I'm done with this monster I'll write that one.

Anon Guest: Um… I guess I'm confused why you chose to click on this story if you wanted a Sansa/Theon story…or why you would feel the need to tell me who should be paired up in a story I'm writing…but I'll go with it. And the simple fact is, I can't completely be on board for the Sansa/Theon ship. But there are some pretty good stories out there that feature them. I hope you find them. Happy reading!


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: Hey everyone, I managed to get this done in under two weeks. I'm patting myself on the back right now. I also wanted to thank all of you readers profusely. You guys are all kinds of awesome.

**Chapter 24**

When Arya woke up the next day, the space in the bed beside her was empty. Subconsciously, she moved her hand to the side that Theon had occupied for the night. She frowned, hating that she already missed him, even though she had only noticed his absence mere seconds ago. There was a fleeting thought that went through her head wondering if maybe she was becoming too dependent on him. She pushed it away almost as quickly as she thought it. She didn't _need _ him, she was certain of that. She thought she could survive without him if she was forced to, but she did _want _him by her side. And at the moment, she wished he was there, just so she could be positive that the night before had really happened, that it wasn't some fantastic dream that her mind and conjured up.

She sat up slowly and winced slightly. She supposed the mild aches that ran throughout her body suggested that the night had not been a dream, and looking down she realized that the lack of clothing was also another indication. She felt a flush come to her cheeks and she silently chastised herself at being so stupid. She had no reason to be embarrassed about what had happened and she definitely didn't regret it.

Again an unbidden thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but question if maybe Theon regretted it and that was why he had left before she woke up. She shook her head to get rid of that thought. She tried to reassure herself that he had probably left her so they wouldn't be caught in a compromising situation by anyone else.

She gave a huff, she was going to drive herself crazy and she was annoyed that the stupid boy had reduced her to a pile of nerves. She would not allow that to continue. She wanted to see him, she wouldn't deny that, so she would go find him and she would not be embarrassed about what happened between them. (But if he told her he regretted what had happened, she might just hit him.) She threw off the blankets that were covering her body and quickly readied herself for the day in the dim morning light.

It wasn't long before she found herself walking towards the dining hall. She had rightly guessed that if she wanted to find someone first thing in the morning it would be best to go to the place that would have food. When she entered the hall she was rewarded with the sight of Olyvar breaking his fast with Andar Royce. She hid the disappointment of not finding Theon there quickly and walked carefully to where they sat. She took a seat next to Olyvar and bid them both a good morning.

Olyvar looked at her curiously as she sat down. He could tell that she still seemed a bit tired, which surprised him. He would have thought all of them would have gotten a decent night sleep. "Good morning." He answered her greeting.

"Good morning, my lady." Andar said politely.

Arya waved off Andar's greeting just as a servant girl set a plat filled with bread, cheese, and a soft-boiled egg before her. "Please, just call me Arya." She picked up the bread and picked at it gently with her fingers, bringing a bit of the bread to her mouth without much interest. It was clear she wasn't very hungry.

"If it pleases you, Arya." Andar said with a friendly smile.

However Olyvar noticed that something was bothering the young Stark girl. "You look tired." He said to her gently, then added in a teasing tone, "did the warm soft bed not agree with you?" He knew that showing too much concern would only annoy her.

"Hmm…something like that." She muttered obviously distracted. She took another bite of her bread so she would have an excuse not to say anything for moment. Although once she swallowed the food she kept her voice neutral and asked, "have either of you seen Theon this morning?"

Olvyar pursed his lips in an attempt to keep from letting a smirk form upon them. So that was what had the Arya all out of sorts, he wondered what the two of them had gotten caught up in after they left the dining hall the night before. He swore the two of them could be so transparent at times. Although, he chanced a glance at Andar and he didn't seem to think anything was amiss by the question Arya had asked. Perhaps Olyvar had just become so accustomed to the two of them that he knew them better than anyone at this point. When he thought he could talk without chuckling, he answered Arya's question. "He was here a little while ago. I think he said he was going to go out and walk the gardens."

Arya set the bread back on the plate and stood up slowly, the rest of her food also forgotten. "If you'll excuse me." She said and gave them both an apologetic smile. "I have something I wish to discuss with him." She was just about to walk away from the table when she realized an important fact, she turned to Andar and inquired, "could you please give me directions to the gardens, my lord."

"It's Andar." He said with amusement, and then proceeded to give her easy instructions on how to find the location she sought.

Once she was out of the dining hall and started following the instructions Andar had given her, she gave a sigh of relief. She had a feeling Olyvar could see right through her. Thank the gods Andar Royce didn't know her at all and didn't realize that she had been acting strangely. She was able to follow his directions easily enough and when she stepped outside she shivered a little in the morning chill. The weather was starting to turn she noted, even south of the Neck. Winter really was coming.

She walked amongst the trees and bushes keeping her eyes open for Theon. She came to the edge of the gardens and she could see the water, Ruenstone had been built on the coast of a bay that led into the Narrow Sea. She found Theon sitting on a bench that faced the water, his back to her and she could tell from the way he held himself he was in a contemplative mood as he looked out into the bay. She frowned as she made her way to him, wondering what it was he was thinking about. He must not have heard her because he didn't turn around as she approached. To get his attention she leaned down and brushed her lips against the side of his neck in soft kiss.

Of course _that_ had gotten his attention and he craned his neck to flash her an amused smirk, as she straightened up. "Good morning, my lady."

She only raised her eyebrows at the greeting and he chuckled. She moved to sit down next to him on the bench, and gave him a pointed look. "You weren't there when I woke up."

He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. That simple gesture was enough to put any doubts she had about him and any regrets he might have slip from her thoughts. "I thought it best. I don't think we wanted to answer any questions had we been caught together." He shrugged his shoulders. "And I couldn't sleep."

"You should have woke me up if you needed someone to talk to." She said with a squeeze of his hand.

He lifted her hand to gently kiss the back of it, touched by her concern. "You were tired, and I had stolen most of your sleep already." He gave her a playful wink at that. "You still don't look like you got enough rest." He chided, when he took a closer look at her.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm fine." She said exasperated. When she had walked out here, she knew that something had been on his mind, and now she couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to direct the attention from him to focus on her. "I'm more worried about you. What were you concentrating on so hard on before I interrupted you."

Theon shook his head dismissively, but Arya still noticed the furrow in his brow. "It's nothing, just a lot of stray thoughts that won't go away."

"What thoughts?" She pressed.

He chuckled, but his eyes remained serious. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope, I'm stubborn. Remember?"

He let an over dramatic sigh escape his lips. "How can I forget." He turned his attention back the water. Arya could tell he was trying to gather his thoughts, and she knew he would tell her when he was ready to, so she sat there quietly with him for a few moments. Finally he started, his voice was quiet and he sounded almost vulnerable when he spoke. "I'm happy."

"But…" Arya realized that there was way more to this then him admitting that he felt happy.

"I feel guilty about it." He turned his head back to her slightly, knowing exactly how she might take that. That he felt guilty about what had happened between them the night before. He quickly shook his head before she could say anything. "But not because of why you might think. I don't regret what happened. It's part of the reason I'm happy, but only part of it." He offered her a fleeting smile. "You promised yourself to me last night, Arya. I've wanted that for, gods I'm not even sure how long I've wanted you. How can I not be happy?"

"But you're not, because you feel guilty?" She asked him, clearly confused by his logic.

"No I'm still happy, it's just overshadowed by the guilt I feel." Her eyes seemed to plead with him to continue, to make her understand. He let out a small sigh, and let go of her hand. He stood up and took a few steps forward so he was standing a few feet away from her, his back turned. "You were promised to someone else. From the moment Robb sent me that damned apology I prayed to any of the gods who would listen that you wouldn't have to go through with that marriage."

Suddenly it all clicked for Arya. She stood, moved forward and grabbed his arm tightly. He let her turn him around so that she was looking at him again. "Are you blaming yourself for what happened to my mother and Robb?" Her expression clearly showed that she thought he was an idiot for even thinking such a thing. Her tone of voice was incredulous and held just a hint of anger that he would think such a stupid thing.

"You're here with me." He said, keeping his voice indifferent. Clearly he believed what he was saying and he doubted whatever she had to say would get him to change his mind. "You're not trapped in a loveless marriage. Walder Frey betrayed your brother effectively ending any betrothal agreement he had with him regarding you. My prayer was answered, pretty effectively, don't you think?" His voice was tinged with just a bit of bitterness by the end.

"I prayed for the same thing too," Arya snapped at him. "I prayed to my father's old gods and my mother's seven and I don't even know if I believe in any of them.. I prayed that I wouldn't have to marry that Frey boy. But I also prayed that my family would be safe. Look what that got me, a dead father, a dead mother, and a dead brother. The gods don't listen to us, the gods don't care. Well maybe one does…death, and he claims everyone in the end. Did you pray to him when you said your prayers to the many gods?"

Theon frowned and shook his head in the negative.

"I didn't think so. You aren't responsible for they're deaths, any more than I am." She offered him her most powerful glare, "stop taking credit for something you didn't do. Put the blame where it belongs, on Walder Frey, on Roose Bolton, on Tywin Lannister. But don't you dare take that awful responsibility on yourself." Her voice was angry and Theon wasn't sure if it was directed at him for falsely blaming himself or at those who were really to blame. "You are happy Theon, don't let the guilt of something you couldn't control eat away at that happiness." Her voice suddenly softened and it was finally her turn to be vulnerable. "_I'm_ happy, for right now at least. I want to be happy, I want _you_ to be happy if only for a brief moment. Don't you think we deserve to have that without anything to ruin it?"

He stood there for a time, just staring at her, slowly coming to the realization that everything she said made sense. Deep down he knew that his prayers weren't the cause of Robb and Lady Catelyn's death. He couldn't help but wonder if underneath it all, he felt guilty simply because he was alive, and they were not. He had known Robb well enough to know that Robb would not want that for him. He would have wanted Theon to be happy. He would have wanted Theon to get on with his life. Finally a faint smile touched his lips. He reached out to her, then swept her into a tight embrace.

"It's a good thing I have you to tell me when I'm being an idiot." Theon whispered to Arya.

Any tension that she had been holding within her body seemed to have dissolved the moment she was in his arms and realized that she had gotten through to him, at least a little. She wrapped her own arms around his waist and then rested her cheek upon his chest. "Well, you like to tell me when I'm being stupid, so I figured I should return the favor from time to time." She smiled in satisfaction when she felt his silent laughter.

They weren't sure how long they stayed that way in each other's arms, but it didn't seem like a long time before a voice pulled them out of their reverie. "Are we always going to find you two in this sort of situation from now on?" Olvyar asked in amusement. "Because if you are, it's going to get very sickening, very fast."

Arya picked her head up and turned to look at where Olyvar's voice came from, at the same moment Theon craned his neck to the other boy as well. Unlike the night before, this time both of them refused to be embarrassed about being caught at showing their affection for each other, even after they realized that Olyvar was not alone. Both Brienne and Podrick were with him, both with just the barest hints of amusement playing upon their faces.

"We'll try to keep it to a minimum when we know you're around Olyvar." Theon promised.

"Alright, now that that's settled," Brienne spoke up, her tone light but she was still one to never waste time, and clearly the three of them had sought Arya and Theon out for a reason, "we should discuss our next move. We've just come from talking with Lord Yohn at breakfast. A raven came early this morning, it seems Lord Baelish and his party will be here within a fortnight."

Arya disentangled herself form Theon, not bothering to hide her excitement at the news that Brienne had brought. "Sansa is going to be here that soon?" She asked excitedly.

Theon gave her a sideways glance, if this had been a months ago, he wouldn't have ever thought he would see Arya _excited_ at the prospect of seeing her sister. It was amazing what time could do and he couldn't help but smile Arya's enthusiasm.

Brienne just nodded her head to answer Arya's question. "In honesty, I can't say that it is soon enough. None of us think that she's particularly safe in Littlefinger's company and I doubt he'll be willing to let her leave him."

"He must have helped her escape King's Landing, he must have some sort of plans for her." Podrick said, "Lord Tyrion seemed to think that man was always working on some sort of scheme, who knows how Sansa would play into any of those."

"Do we know that Sansa would even be willing to part ways with him?" Olyvar asked curiously.

"She would leave him if she knew she had a better choice." Arya said without hesitation. She might not have gotten along with Sansa, but they were family. "I'm her sister. We're family and Theon is just as good as family. If I can talk to her, I know she'll come with us."

"But what about me? I doubt she would be very welcoming of a Frey." Olyvar pointed out.

"And I doubt Lord Baelish would even allow the two of us near her." Podrick said quietly, gesturing to himself and Brienne.

Theon looked thoughtful for a moment. "We probably shouldn't mention your House, Olyvar, at least not at first. Brienne, I know you probably won't like this, but I don't think it would be a good idea for you or Podrick to be at Runestone when they arrive. Lord Royce agreed with us when we mentioned the possibility of Sansa or Lord Baelish recognizing you. Lord Royce suggested the two of you wait at Gulltown for us."

Brienne of course frowned at the thought of being that far from them. "I understand the need to keep us hidden. But I'd rather be closer, just in case you have need of us."

"I'd prefer it too." Arya spoke up. "We don't know what the situation is, or if we're going to have to make a fast getaway or if our plans change and we need to contact you quickly. Perhaps Lord Royce knows of a nearby farm that you could stay at for a few days."

"Or we could just set up camp near by." Podrick offered.

"That could work as well." Arya agreed. "And Nymeria would be close by should you need her assistance with anything."

"And after we rescue Lady Sansa," Podrick asked, "we go North?"

Theon nodded his head. "Yes, further North than even Winterfell, if the youngest Stark boys are alive and free, they would have gone to the Last Hearth…to the Umbers."

"That will be a tricky journey." Brienne said quietly. "We'll have to move through Bolton lands just to reach it."

"It's a risk I have to take." Arya said simply. "I have to talk to Sansa before we make any final plans, but I know she'll want to take the same risks if there is even the smallest chance that Bran and Rickon are alive."

"And we could always find a ship that is going North, maybe one sending supplies to the Night's Watch at Eastwatch." Theon said thoughtfully. "We could disembark somewhere on the coast of the Bay of Seals, we wouldn't even come close to the Dreadfort or Winterfell."

"It could be tricky getting Nymeria on a boat, or even finding a Captain who would allow her on board." Arya murmured.

"But it does give us another possibility." Brienne said, "at least something else to think about."

Arya simply nodded her head, at least it was the start of a plan. And they would have continued discussing their plans for the future, if it hadn't been for the the interruption that came in the form of a young woman who seemed to be about Arya's age. She had been wandering the gardens, when she happened upon their little group.

"Excuse me," the girl smiled at them and her eyes quickly rested on Arya. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if you were Jeyne. My father told me he would introduce us at some point today, but I confess I was looking so forward to meeting you that my patience was wearing thin."

Arya looked at the girl, momentarily confused by the name that the young woman called her. It only took her seconds to realize that she was supposed to be going by the name Jeyne around almost everyone who lived and worked at Runestone. "Right! That would be me. I'm Jeyne!" It took only a second longer for her to realize that this must be Yohn Royce's daughter. "You must be Lady Ysilla." At least she remembered to address the girl properly.

Ysilla smiled and nodded her head. "I'm so very pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm sure we'll become fast friends." It was then that she seemed to realize that there were other people with Arya. "Would you mind introducing your friends?" She asked cheerfully.

"Oh right." Arya said, motioned to Olyvar. "This is my cousin, Olyvar." She was beginning to remember their cover story a little more easily now that she actually had to use it. "And this is Jon another of my cousins." She motioned to Theon, at least that name was easy enough to remember.

"Right, my father says you're all from house Tollett, it's a pleasure to meet you." Ysilla interrupted.

"Um, right." Arya mumbled as 'Jon' and Olyvar nodded their greetings to the young noble girl. Then Arya went on to introduce Podrick Payne and Brienne of Tarth. She was sure to mention that the two of them would not be staying at Runestone for very long.

"Oh, where will you be going after you leave here," asked Ysilla politely.

"Back Tarth, I haven't been home for a very long time." Brienne said quickly coming up with a false destination.

"I've heard it's very lovely there," commented Ysilla. It appeared the girl was very good at small talk, but that she was done with it for now. She then looked back to Arya and said, "I was wondering if you would like for me to show you around Runestone. I was hoping we could become fast friends, it has been awhile since I've had a chance to talk to a girl around my own age."

Ysilla didn't even wait for an answer, she just took Arya by the elbow, and Arya not wanting to be rude to their host's daughter, allowed the girl to lead her away reluctantly. Arya looked back just in time to see Theon's amused smirk. She narrowed her eyes at him, but quickly brought her attention back to Ysilla who was happily chatting away about the most dashing knights around the Vale. Arya, to her horror, had the distinct impression that she would be forced into afternoon needle point sessions and meaningless small talk for the next two weeks. She gritted her teeth, but remained polite, and she would do so for the next few days. Her mother would have been proud.

—

The next few days, as they waited for Sansa's arrival, felt _normal_. They were doing things that they would have done at Winterfell, if things had been different. Theon spent a lot of time in Runestone's practice yard, with Olyvar, Brienne, and Podrick. It appeared that Podrick was not so great a fighter, despite having helped Arya fight off the one man from the hill tribes. The other three had decided now would be a good a time as any to start formally training him. While, to keep up appearances that she was a normal noble born girl, Arya couldn't participate in the sword play, she was able drag Ysilla to the practice yard so that they could watch the others. There were days that Arya felt if she closed her eyes, and listened to everything that went on around her, that she could pretend it was Robb and Jon matching swords with Theon and that Ysilla's cheerful chatter was Sansa talking about things that Arya cared nothing for.

It was a quiet period and it was what they all needed after all they've been through. For the first few days Arya wondered when something would happen to make it all disappear, but as the days wore on she felt herself relax because the serenity stayed. She had even allowed her hope and excitement grow, she was going to be reunited with her sister.

The time seemed to be going by fast, and eventually it was two days before Sansa's scheduled arrival. That meant that it would be time for Podrick and Brienne to leave them, if only for a few days while they figured out how they were going to smuggle Sansa away from Lord Baelish. Lord Royce had told them of a small farm that was only a couple hours ride from the Keep that he was sure would welcome the two of them. When they left Arya was surprised to realize that she would miss them and even felt a little unsettled not having the two of them there.

However those feelings were overshadowed on the morning that Lord Baelish's party arrived. Arya, Theon, and Olyvar stood off to the side, there was no real reason for them to be there when Yohn Royce greeted his newest guests, but Arya was anxious to see her sister the moment she arrived. She didn't have to wait long, soon a small carriage and several men on horses made their way into the yard.

Arya watched carefully as Lord Royce stepped forward with his son to greet the man who had first stepped out of the carriage. She assumed that must have been Lord Baelish. He was shorter than both of the Royce men, he had dark hair that was graying at the temples, and Arya could see why no one was quick to trust him. There was an intelligence in his eyes, and he looked at everyone and everything shrewdly, as if he was calculating what they might be worth. Thankfully his eyes had not wandered towards her and her boys.

The next being to exit the carriage was a slip of a boy. He wore a sour expression and it seemed as if he was only opening his mouth to complain, which Lord Baelish seemed to be enduring without too much annoyance. This must have been Lysa Arryn's son, which meant it was her cousin. It wasn't surprising that she felt nothing for the boy, even as she knew she was bound to him by blood. She anxiously turned her attention back to the door of the vehicle, realizing that Lord Baelish was holding his hand out, awaiting to help the last occupant out.

Arya gripped Theon's hand as a black haired girl emerged from the carriage. Even with the strange style of dress she wore, and the red hair dyed black, Arya could tell it was Sansa. The first thing Arya saw her sister do when she stepped out the carriage was look tentatively around her surroundings. Arya realized she was being cautious, Sansa no longer took things at face value.

When Sansa's blue eyes found their way to Arya's little group, the first person she saw was Theon, and her eyes widened upon recognition. It didn't take her long to find Arya standing next to him and to make eye contact with her for several seconds. Sansa was visibly startled. She quickly looked away to see what Lord Baelish's reaction to Arya and Theon were, only to realize the man hadn't even noticed them yet. He was too busy talking to Lord Royce. Tentatively, she looked back to where her sister and Theon stood, wondering if she had only imagined seeing the two of them there. When she realized that they were still standing there, it was all she could do to suppress relieved gasp. Without realizing what she was doing she almost took a step towards them. Arya must have realized what she was about to do and shook her head as if to tell Sansa to stop. Sansa complied and gave Arya a curious look. Her sister raised an index finger to her lips as if to tell Sansa to keep silent about who they were. It didn't take long to realize that they were probably pretending to be different people too.

It was then that their silent exchange was interrupted as Lord Baelish turned to Sansa asking if she was alright. The older Stark girl quickly turned away from and nodded her head to show that she was fine. Not long after that, Lord Royce started to lead Lord Baelish and the two young people he travelled with towards the entrance of the keep.

That was when Arya, Theon, and Olyvar seemed to finally catch Baelish's attention. He stopped walking, forcing those he walked with to stop as well. "And who are these young people?" he asked with a small smile as he carefully looked over the three of them. He sounded polite, friendly even, but there was something in his voice that Arya couldn't identify that made her feel on edge.

"Oh," Yohn said easily, "these are the three guests I told you about from House Tollett. Allow me to introduce Lords Jon and Olyvar and the Lady Jeyne." He seemed comfortable in the lie he told and he was certain that it was believed. He then motioned to introduce Baelish's party to Arya's "This is Lord Robin Arryn, Lord Petyr Baelish, his daughter Alayne Stone."

It was Theon who spoke a greeting for the three of them, while Arya curtseyed and Olyvar nodded his head respectively. "It's an honor to meet you." His voice was stiff and formal. He kept his eyes averted from Sansa, for fear that he might give something away if he showed too much interest in her.

"Ah, yes, thank you Lord Jon, I assure you the pleasure is mine. It's fortunate that the three of you were able to be here, I'm sure you'll be pleasant company for my daughter." Baelish looked from Theon and his eyes passed over Olyvar and came to rest upon Arya. For a moment he looked at her as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle. She seemed familiar in vague sort of way, but he couldn't explain why. He knew he had never met the young girl before, perhaps he had met someone in her family that she took after.

Lord Royce seemed to notice his interest Arya and was quick to try and get Petyr's attention away from her. "Come, you must be tired after your journey, I'll show you to your rooms so that you can refresh yourselves."

Baelish quickly brought his attention to Yohn, realizing he his gaze had probably lingered too long on this Jeyne girl he had been introduced to. "Of course, please lead the way."

—

It wasn't until several hours into the afternoon that Arya was finally able to actually talk to her sister. She was sitting in the gardens again, this time she was chatting with Theon and Ysilla. Theon could tell that his little wolf girl was on edge. She was anxious to talk to her sister, and she was trying very hard to keep up with the amiable conversation with Ysilla. He was the first person to notice the couple walking toward them. He smiled a little and placed his hand on Arya's shoulder gently. When he had her attention, he nodded towards Olyvar who was escorting Sansa in their direction.

When the two reached them and pleasantries were exchanged, Olyvar came to the rescue once again. He knew that the sisters would want a moment alone to talk, so he looked to Ysilla. "My lady, would you mind accompanying me for walk, I find I'm a bit restless and I think the exercise would do me good."

"Of course, Lord Olyvar, I would be happy to oblige." Ysilla said with a smile.

Theon gently squeezed Arya's shoulder and she looked up at him. Arya knew he was silently asking if she wanted him to leave so the two of them could have some privacy. She nodded her head with a small smile of gratitude. He gave her a quick wink and then turned to Olyvar and Ylissa. "I'll join you two, I'm not sure our host would appreciate the two of you walking alone. He might consider it improper." Neither Theon nor Arya were aware that Sansa had watched the whole exchange.

When the three of them had left the sisters behind, Sansa gave her sister an appraising look. "You're in love with him." Was the first thing she said when they were alone. Arya just gapped at her, not sure how to respond to what her sister had said. Sansa couldn't help but chuckle, and it felt good to do so. "And he obviously loves you too."

Finally Arya was able to overcome her surprise at Sansa's bluntness. "You don't seem surprised."

"I suspected you harbored some feelings for him, back before I even left for King's Landing with father." Sansa explained easily. "Jeyne Poole and I even speculated on how long it would take for you to realize you had feelings for him."

Arya tried to hide the embarrassment she felt at her sisters words by offering Sansa a glare. "Was I really that obvious, even back then when I was hiding my feelings, even from myself."

"I'm afraid so, little sister." Sansa whispered the last bit with a relieved smile. It was then that she reached out to touch Arya's arm as if she wanted to make sure the girl was really there. Once she was certain that she wasn't dreaming she leaned over and gave her sister at tentative hug. It didn't take long for Arya to return the hug and no matter how odd it felt to them at first, they clung to each other. The Stark girls were back together.

After several moments they reluctantly pulled apart. "How were you able to get away from Lord Baelish to come talk to me?" Arya asked.

"Oh," she said, "he was busy making plans with Lord Royce. I think Petyr wants to foster Robin here for a time. I was able to slip away easily enough and when I found Lord Olyvar, I realized he was standing next to you in the courtyard when I first arrived. I thought he might have known where you were and forced him to take me to you." She canted her head to the side as if she was giving some thought to something. "We talked a little on the way to find you. He seemed to know you and Theon quite well. Is Olyvar his real name?"

Arya smiled faintly at this, "yes, at least Olyvar is, but he is not from house Tollett. He _does_ know us pretty well. He saved both Theon's and my life, probably more than once. He helped Theon escape the Twins, and he helped guide us through the Riverlands. We wouldn't have gotten as far as we did without him. He's practically family now, in time, I hope you come to feel the same way."

"Yes, but who is he exactly?" Sansa asked curiously.

"He was Robb's squire. He was loyal to our brother to the last." Arya explained and then paused. She always hated having to admit that Olyvar was from a house who had betrayed their family so thoroughly. She wasn't sure how Sansa would react. Finally she just spit it out in a rush. "He's one of Walder Frey's sons. But he has no loyalty to his family. I trust him completely."

Sansa looked at Arya silently for a moment. She could tell her sister was being honest with her, that she did trust this Olyvar. The very fact that both Arya and Theon were here at Runestone should be a testament to his loyalty, at least to the two of them. He had not turned them over to the Freys. But would his loyalty extend to her too?

Arya seemed to understand her hesitancy to accept Olyvar. She suspected Sansa had become just as cautious as herself when it came to trusting people. "Sansa, you do trust me right?" She waited until her sister nodded her head. "Then trust that I know Olyvar to be a good man."

"Alright." Sansa agreed reluctantly, after giving Arya's words some thought.

The two of them let the conversation lapse, a dozen thoughts were buzzing through their heads. They had a million questions to ask each other and neither of them were sure on how to go about asking them. It felt a little strange to be in each other's company. When they were children all they did was fight whenever they were left alone together for too long, but right now they were just sitting quietly together. It was even stranger to realize they were comfortable in that silence, both of them relieved that the other was alive and well.

Finally it was Arya that broke the peace, "Sansa, how well do you trust this Lord Baelish?"

"I don't," was Sansa's simple reply. "Not really. He's kind to me, but I know doesn't have a very good reputation. I've seen first hand what he can do. He's partly responsible for Joffrey's death, he killed Aunt Lysa." She admitted in a whisper. "I think he did it to save me, she was crazed Arya. She thought I was trying to steal Lord Baelish away from her. But he killed her Arya. And I lied for him and told people she killed herself, because he was the only person who seemed to be willing protect me. He's our uncle by law, he was the only person I really had left. I thought you were dead, and with our brothers dead, I had no one else." Now that she opened up, the words tumbled out of her. "He was the best choice in a bad situation."

"You don't want to stay with him do you?" Arya asked quietly. "Now that you have a better choice? You have Theon and I now."

"Of course you're the better choice." Sansa assured her sister. "But where do we have to go?"

"We go North."

Sansa seemed taken aback by that, "why? There is nothing there for us except for danger."

"I think Bran and Rickon are still alive." Arya said carefully. She gave an exasperated sigh when she saw Sansa looking at her as if she had gone mad for having such thoughts. "You thought I was dead, and I'm not." She said matter-of-factly. "And Theon made arrangements for them should they have to flee Winterfell. We have an idea about where they might be. And we wouldn't be alone, Olyvar would follow us, and we have other allies that are willing to go with us. Ones that you might know."

Sansa raised an eyebrow at this. "Who?"

"Your _husband's_ squire." Arya answered.

"Pod? He made it out of King's Landing alive, even after Tyrion was accused?" Sansa said with surprise. "He was such a quiet boy. I think Tyrion would be happy to know that he's alright. I think he rather liked the boy. How did he find you?" She knew that her sister was probably curious about her marriage to the Imp, but that was a topic she was not yet ready to talk about.

"He was traveling with Brienne of Tarth."

"I vaguely remember her from King's Landing, I recall she was fairly good friends with Jaime Lannister." Sansa said cautiously.

"But she swore an oath to our mother, before she even met Jaime Lannister." Arya said firmly. "She promised Mother that she would protect you. This woman takes her oaths very seriously."

"And you trust both of these people?" Sansa asked shrewdly. If her sister thought that they were okay, then she would trust in her sisters instincts. "And you honestly think we'll be able to find Bran and Rickon?"

Arya nodded her head vigorously. "I feel that they are alive, Sansa, I can't explain it, but I do. No one has seen a body that can be identified as the two of them. And do you honestly think their wolves would turn on them?"

"No, I don't suppose they would." Sansa answered. She waited a few minutes, while she took in everything that Arya had said. "When do we leave for the North, we'll have to be careful, Lord Baelish will keep a close eye on me."

Arya began to fill in Sansa what had been planned so far, it didn't take long, and eventually their conversation drifted into easier things, like memories of their shared childhood and of those family members they had lost. They weren't sure how long they had been reminiscing when they were interrupted by Lord Baelish who had come searching for his 'daughter.'

"Well, don't you two seem to be as thick as thieves," were the first words he said when he found them both seated on a bench. His tone seemed to ooze friendliness.

Arya and Sansa were quiet a moment, trying to remember what they had said right before he made himself known and if it would betray to Littlefinger who Arya really was. The two of them cast each other a look that wasn't lost on Petyr Baelish, he couldn't help but wonder if the two of them might be hiding something. Again he was plagued by the thought that he should know who this Jeyne girl was, and again his mind drew a blank.

"Oh, we were just talking Father," Sansa said quickly, playing her part as dutiful daughter perfectly. "Jeyne and I seem to have a lot in common."

"I'm happy to see that you've made a friend," Petyr said easily, then he looked shrewdly at Arya. "Perhaps we'll have a chance to get to know each other over the next few days. Anyone who can keep Alayne's attention for an afternoon is bound to be _interesting._" Then he looked back to Sansa, "Lord Royce says supper will be served soon. Can I escort you two to the dining hall?"

"Of course Father."

"I'll…I'll be right behind you. I'm going to see if I can't find my cousins." Arya said, probably a little bit too quickly. But the way that Lord Baelish had looked at her made her a bit unsettled. Was he beginning to suspect something?

That slippery smile was back again on Baelish's face. "Of course Lady Jeyne." With that he started to lead Sansa away.

**Author's Note: **One last little bit of calm for our heroes before things start getting dicey again. Next chapter should be up early next week.

Iskander06: I don't plan to stop updating until it's done. :) Thank you for the support. And I agree with you whole heartedly that Theon deserves a bit more… he made some awful, horrible choices, but there's so many complicated reasons about why he made those choices. And he eventually realized that he was wrong.

ATP: I can honestly tell you that what happened to Sansa in that episode…will not happen. I already have my plans for Rickon. But I never did think of writing a character as a love interest for Brienne, it's something I'll have to think about. It might be hard because… I kind of ship her with Jaime.

Senpen bank: Thank you so much! And there's more coming. Probably not until next week though, because my weekend is going to be super busy.

Forever-Bucksin: What an incredibly flattering review! I'm humbled that anyone would think my story is that good. I don't know how to thank you.

Emilystark713: Once again thank you for reading. I love that you love it! More will be coming soon!


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's note: **I'm not even going to lie, the reason it took me so long to update was because this chapter was hellish to write. I don't know why, I was just having a tough time being inspired. (Maybe it's because this is just another chapter to finally set up the next major plot point in the story that I'm excited about writing) I'm not even really sure how it turned out. I was just so tired of tweaking it and reading it and then rereading it, I finally just decided to post it up. Okay…now I'm just ranting. Please forgive me!

**Chapter 25**

On the second day after Sansa and Arya's reunion, Lord Yohn Royce received word form King's Landing that Tywin Lannister had been killed. The story was that Tyrion Lannister, who had been sentenced to death for killing King Joffrey, had escaped the Black Cells, and before fleeing the city had murdered he is father. Arya had been with Sansa and Lord Baelish breaking their fast, when they had heard the news, and was surprised when her sister seemed almost relieved that the Imp had gotten away.

Only after she gave it some thought, Arya realized that if Tyrion had not escaped an innocent man would have been executed for Joffrey's murder. She supposed she should even be thankful to the man, he had managed to kill a man she detested before he fled King's Landing. She should be happy that Tyrion was free, after all he _was _family. Sansa was still technically married to the man. Arya was quite well versed in the laws of marriage when it concerned the Faith of the Seven, (she had asked Maester Luwin about them in detail when she thought she was going to have to marry Elmar Frey) and as far as she knew neither the High Septon, nor some Council of Faith, had granted Sansa and Tyrion an annulment. Which they needed, even if the marriage hadn't been consummated, to end the union.

Thinking about Sansa's marriage situation was enough to make Arya's head hurt and she often forced herself to push it out of her mind. It was just another problem to think about after they found Bran and Rickon, after they found a place they could call home, even a temporary one. Arya knew that their time at Runestone would soon be coming to an end. She had been contemplating that fact and trying to come up with a feasible plan on how to steal Sansa away from Lord Baelish from the moment she excused herself from the breakfast table. She spent a good chunk of the morning pondering those thoughts as she wandered around the castle's halls alone. She was only pulled from her thoughts when someone called out to her.

"Jeyne!" Exclaimed Lady Ysilla with her usual smile. Sansa walked beside her, both of them wearing their outdoor cloaks. "There you are, we were wondering where you had wandered off to. We were going to go watch the boys spar in the practice yard. Lord Robin seems eager to have Alayne watch his lessons this morning. Would you like to join us?"

"Of course." Was Arya's easy answer. "You two go ahead, I just need to stop by my room to grab a cloak. I won't be but a minute. I shall meet you out there." She didn't wait for an answer she just quickly started off in the direction of her room.

She was in such a hurry that she didn't pay particular close attention to her surroundings, so of course Arya collided into someone. Hands quickly reached out to grip her arms to steady her so that she wouldn't fall. Embarrassed she looked up to the person she had ran into, her mouth open, ready to apologize. However her words faded when she saw she was looking into the eyes of Petyr Baelish. For a few seconds neither of them said anything. Arya was trying to collect her wits so that she could deal with the man. Whenever they were in the same vicinity over the past couple days he seemed to be trying to test her by asking her questions about the Tollett family or about where she supposedly grew up. The questions were always wrapped in politeness and no one could fault the man for being curious, but Arya got the feeling he analyzed everything she said. Whenever she left his company she was always worried if she had given away some vital clue as to her real identity. Unfortunately for her, at this moment, he seemed to have that shrewd look in his eye that warned her that he was intent on having a conversation with her.

He was the first person to break the silence. "Lady Jeyne, where are you off to in such a hurry?" He asked with a practiced smile as he dropped his hands from her arms.

"Excuse me my lord, I was just going to get a cloak from my room." Arya hoped she had the right amount of contrition and embarrassment in her voice. "I apologize, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"No harm done." Petyr reassured her, "I was just looking for Alayne, have you seen her?"

"She's with Lady Ylissa, my lord." Arya answered quickly enough. She wanted nothing more than to be away from this man. "They were headed to the practice yard to watch my cousins, Lord Robin, and Lord Andar spar. I was planning on joining them after I fetched my cloak. There's a chill in the air today."

"Yes, it does seem the weather is changing." Petyr agreed.

Arya nodded her head in agreement, and put on what she hoped was a cheerful smile. "Well, I should be going my lord, my friends will be waiting for me." She moved to start walking down the hall towards her room.

Unfortunately he moved to walk with her. "We're going to the same place, allow me to walk with you." He said smoothly.

"Oh, no, that's alright my lord, you go on ahead. I'll still have to-"

"I insist, my lady," he said with that smile that almost seemed like a smirk. To anyone else it would seem like he was being friendly, but with Arya already knowing this man to be untrustworthy, everything he did put her on edge.

"Of course, my lord." She said trying her best to keep any hint of annoyance out of her demeanor as she started to lead him towards her room. She made no attempt to start a conversation with him, and neither did he, at least not at first. In fact he didn't open his his mouth again until they had made it to her room, she retrieved her cloak, and joined him again outside her door where he had waited for her.

"Here let me help you with that, it's a shame the weather is already turning this far south," Petyr said reaching for her cloak. She allowed him to drape the garment over shoulders. "_Winter_ _is coming._" He felt her stiffen at the words he used as he hands brushed her shoulders. Although, being the clever girl she seemed to be, she managed to recover herself quickly. If he hadn't been such a close study of human nature he might have missed her reaction all together. It was just another puzzle piece into who the young _Tollett_ girl was. He had his suspicions about her, almost from the start, especially after she started paying attention to _Alayne. _He in turn paid close attention to her and her _cousins. _Now, with her reaction to him using the Stark words, she had all but confirmed her identity.

Arya kept her voice even and forced herself to relax. She raised her eyebrows, hoping she looked curious, "excuse me, my lord?"

"Oh," he brushed off the question, then offered her his arm, which she took hesitantly. "I simply commented that winter was coming. The Stark words, which always sound so ominous, are unfortunately also very true. I fear that after such a long summer and the wars that Westeros was forced to endure, it will make for a very cold and hard winter."

Arya simply nodded her head.

"I don't suppose you would have realized the devastation that happened because of the war, it barely touched the Vale. The Riverlands and the Westerlands were particularly hard hit. I'm sure even the North is feeling the effects as well, with Balon Greyjoy's raiders and most of the able bodied men following Robb Stark off to war, they probably aren't completely prepared for what's to come." He cast her a sideways glance, seeing if he could pick up any reaction to what he was saying, especially about Robb Stark. He was impressed to see, that she wore a mask of indifference.

When Arya spoke, she chose her words carefully. She knew he was mining her for information. "Is everything really as bad as all that?"

"Unfortunately." He said, then in an attempt to reassure the young woman, even though he knew she didn't need it, he added, "but you have nothing to worry about Lady Jeyne. Lord Robin has the Vale well in hand, he will help his people through the winter."

This time she did look at him, with genuine curiosity. "Yes, I'm sure he will, with your help of course. The people of the Vale will owe you much if this winter will be as hard as you think it will be." Arya suspected this man liked having people owe him things. It was only after she said it, that she realized she had said the people of the Vale and had not included herself in that number. She hoped it was a slip that would go past Lord Baelish.

"I'm only doing my duty as Lord Protector of the Vale." There was a glibness in his tone that Arya could barely detect. "

"I have no doubt of that, Lord Baelish." Arya said quietly, talking to this man was exhausting, she hated having to second guess every little thing she said. He was smart and she knew he could read between the lines. She was out of her depth.

"But enough about war and politics, I'm sure that sort of talk doesn't interest you at all." Petyr said, and then much to Arya's relief he let the conversation lapse, at least for a little while, as they continued walking. It wasn't long before they found themselves outside and heading in the direction of the practice yard. They were nearly there when he spoke again. "Lady Jayne, I must say thank you for your kindness towards my daughter."

"She's pleasant company, my lord." Arya said easily.

"Yes, I am quite fond of her. It isn't often a noble born girl would extend friendship to a base born girl. I believe that Lady Ysilla is also opening up to her because you're on such friendly terms with Alayne." He commented.

Arya frowned, she knew exactly how bastards were often treated, she had seen how Jon was treated. Maybe not by her or her brothers, but her mother, Theon and even Sansa had treated him differently than a true born child. It was simply the cultural norm to look down on bastards. It was something that always bothered her, even as she loved those who were the worst offenders of what she considered an injustice to Jon. She offered Lord Baelish a hard glare. "Some of the best people I know are bastards. I don't see why they should be looked down upon for a mistake their parents made."

Petyr's lips quirked at the small outburst. She certainly did seem passionate about how baseborn children were treated. Another puzzle piece had to fit into place, making it clear that Jeyne was indeed Arya Stark. Sansa had mentioned to him that her sister was fond of their bastard brother. He made no indication that he knew who she was, instead he gave her a surprised look. "Are there many bastards from where you come from?"

Arya cursed in her mind, realizing that she had again offered more information than she intended. She was quiet as they finally reached the practice yard and came to a stop. Her mind was racing as she tried to come up with a way to cover her blunder, but she had a feeling it was already too late to fool the clever man. She was beginning to panic. "I… uh… well, there aren't that many in truth." She hoped she seemed sincere. "But I was on friendly terms with the ones I did know of." The lie was thin, and knew it.

Again, that shrewd look was playing in his eyes as he observed Arya. Something must have caught his attention because his gaze turned away from her to look over her shoulder, and a bit of a smirk appeared upon his lips. "Ah, it seems your _cousin_ has come to _rescue _you."

Arya wasn't certain but she though she detected a subtle threat in his words, but she could have also been imagining it. She turned to look at who had drawn his attention, and saw that Theon was the _cousin_ he had been referring to. She quickly turned back to Baelish and offered him what she hoped was a friendly enough smile. "Thank you for accompanying me Lord Baelish, I'll leave to you go talk to Alayne." She nodded her head toward where Sansa and Ysilla sat watching Lord Robin spar with one of Runestone's men at arms.

Lord Baelish simply nodded his head in return, offered a genial smile to Theon who had just stepped to where they stood, and then simply walked away.

"What did he want?" Theon asked when he was certain the man was out of earshot.

"I think he might have figured out who I am?" Arya muttered quietly.

Theon looked at her, from his expression she could tell he was concerned. "Why would you think that? Did he ask you about your true identity?"

She shook her head. "No, not out right." Her mind was still replaying through the short conversation she had with Littlefinger. "But I think he was trying to get me to unwittingly give him clues as to who I was." There was a small amount of fear in her voice, "I think I might have given them to him too. I wasn't as guarded as I should have been. He said the Stark words to me, he talked of bastards, and saying how I was kinder towards his base born girl than normal noble ladies would be. I might have given us away just by wanting to spend time with my sister! If he knows who I am, that means he's probably figured out who you are too."

He put his hands on her shoulders and tried to give her a reassuring smile. He doubted it worked, she could see through his false pretenses, and even he could hear the doubt in his voice. "That doesn't mean he knows anything." He had been concerned about the man too, he was always too curious. Perhaps the safety that Runestone had offered these past few weeks had made them too at ease and they hadn't been paying close enough attention to what they had said or did around Baelish.

"You heard Sansa, he's smart and he's calculating. I'm surprised we were even able to fool him as long as we did. We have to leave. I don't think we're safe here anymore. Whatever we're going to do to slip Sansa out of Runestone we have to do it soon, before he decides what it is he's going to do with us." Her voice was tinged with panic.

Theon cast a quick glance towards the person they were discussing, thankfully Petyr wasn't paying attention. "Arya," he said quietly as he removed his hands from her shoulders, trying to act casual, "calm down. If he sees you like this, you'll only confirm any suspicions he has." That seemed to give her pause, he saw her close her eyes and he knew she was trying to calm herself. "We shouldn't talk about any of this out in the open. Let's go join him and the others, pretend that nothing is wrong and after our midday meal we'll discuss our next move."

"Okay." Arya opened her eyes. From the look she gave him, he could tell that she had calmed down enough to be able to pretend that everything was normal.

"It's going to be okay." Theon told here with as much conviction as he could before he started to lead them towards the others.

—

"I don't understand why you all cannot just come with me tonight." Sansa stated stubbornly.

Arya, Theon, Olyvar, and Sansa had all crowded into Arya's room at the first chance they got that afternoon. They had come up with a plan, it was simple and unimaginative, but they did not have a lot of time to work with. Arya supposed there was a certain beauty in the simplicity of it, perhaps a man as complicated as Lord Petyr Baelish wouldn't expect something as straightforward as this. Olyvar was merely going to smuggle Sansa out in the dark of night and take her to the farm where Podrick and Brienne were waiting for them. Once Sansa was safely within Brienne's care Olvyar would return to Runestone, and then after a few days time when things had calmed down, they would rendezvous at another location.

"Because if we all disappear at the same time, things would look bad for Lord Royce." Olvyar explained to Sansa. "If Lord Baelish has figured out who Arya and Theon are, then he'll suspect that Lord Royce knew too and had helped us escape. You're wanted by the Crown, Lord Baelish could make it look like Royce committed treason."

"He's been good to us, I don't want to put him or his family in any more danger than they already are in for helping us." Added Arya.

"And if we stayed, and you disappeared, it might give Lord Baelish some doubt as to who we are. He would rightfully assume that Arya would want to stick close with the only family she has left." Olyvar continued. "We're lucky to have hid Brienne and Podrick away so that he wouldn't know we have other allies willing to help us."

"I don't like it." Sansa said shaking her head. "It's too easy, he's going to figure out what happened as soon as he realizes I'm gone."

"That's why we do it at night. Hopefully he won't even notice until morning, and by then you'll be long gone." Theon spoke.

"And the first thing he'll do is search all of the local farms and settlements." Sansa countered. "Where exactly am I supposed to hide from him?"

"Another reason that we thought it would be a good idea to stay behind for a little while is so we could interfere with the search effort." Theon answered. "I already discussed with Lord Royce where you should go after Olyvar takes you to that farm Pod and Brienne are at. He suggested the three of you leave before sunrise tomorrow morning. That should allow you enough time to get a significant lead over Lord Baelish. The farmer you are staying with should be able to lead you to Grey Glen, the seat of house Tollett, Lord Uthor will be able hide you should Baelish look for you there." He held out a rolled scroll to Sansa, that was sealed with Royce's sigil. "Give this to Lord Uthor, it explains who you are and that he is to help you in any way possible. Lord Royce trusts this man."

Sansa took the parchment, a frown still tugged at her lips.

Hoping to ease her sister's mind, Arya said, "it's only for a few days. Brienne and Podrick will take care of you."

"I know that." Sansa murmured quietly to Arya. "I just don't like that we have to be separated. I guess I'm just frightened that I'll lose you again, only this time permanently."

Arya gave her sister a genuine smile. "I'm not so easy to get rid of Sansa, you should know that by now."

A hint of a smile ghosted upon Sansa's lips. "I suppose you aren't." Then she looked to Theon and Olyvar. "Alright, when am I to leave."

"Tonight." Olyvar said. "Lord Andar has shown me the secret tunnels that lead out of the keep. All these old castles have them. He's already arranged for someone to be waiting nearby with horses for us. We figure about an hour after supper you should feign fatigue, and retire for the evening. I'll follow a little bit later. Do you think Lord Baelish will check up on you before he retires?"

Sansa nodded her head. "He usually does. I suspect that tonight will be no different."

"Okay, well once he has done so and you are sure he will not catch you, sneak out of your room and meet me here at your sister's room. We'll have to be careful, but I don't think we'll have any trouble sneaking out of the castle." Olyvar said, "then we'll ride for the farm. I'll leave you with Brienne and head back here. It'll be a tiring night but I think we can handle it."

"It seems easy enough." Sansa said quietly, but she was left feeling unsettled.

—

Sansa hugged her sister tightly. "Be careful, and keep your wits about you when your around Lord Baelish. He analyzes everything, I've seen the way his mind works." She was trying to hold back her fear and sadness, she was trying to be strong and brave. She almost would have believed she was those things if her heart wasn't beating so fast with worry.

"I will." Arya held on awkwardly to her sister. "Listen to Brienne, she's a strong warrior and she'll do anything to keep you safe. She promised our mother that, I'm sure she'll tell you the story about how she came into our mother's service if you ask her. Your first reaction might be to not trust her, but know that she is loyal and I trust in her completely."

Sansa nodded her head and pulled away, wiping a stray tear that had leaked from her eye. She gave her sister a mournful smile. "Don't do something so foolish that you'll get yourself killed."

Before Arya could answer, Olyvar opened the door to Arya's room and poked his head in. "We should leave now before someone ventures down this hallway."

Sansa nodded then looked back to her sister. "Goodbye Arya."

"It won't be long until I'm annoying you again." Arya said with a small smirk, "I'll see you soon."

Then Sansa turned to Theon who sat quietly on Arya's bed, letting the two of them have a private moment for their goodbyes. He stood up when he noticed her attention on him. She took a few steps so that she stood in front of him. She peered at him carefully, "I expect you to keep-"

"To keep your sister safe." He interrupted with a smirk. "Don't worry, I'll do my best, but she does a pretty good job of taking care of herself."

Sansa offered him a smile and then gave him a brief hug. "Stay safe Theon." She said as he returned the hug awkwardly. It was true they and never been close growing up. But she supposed that deep down inside of her she had come to see him as a brother, especially in light of all that she had lost, he wasn't one of those people that had been taken from her. She also had no doubt that he would be her brother by law at some point in the future. With that thought she pulled away, nodded to both of them a goodbye and then moved out of the room.

Once Sansa left, Arya and Theon didn't speak for a while, Arya lost in thought and worry, and Theon mentally going through their plan, trying to anticipate any problem that might arise in the next few hours. There was so much that could go wrong, that he was determined to be prepared for anything. It must have been a good fifteen minutes before he decided to break their silence, he would end up driving himself mad if he continued to worry about the what ifs.

"Olyvar will keep her safe," Theon said to her. He walked over to where she still stood, looking at the door. He must have startled her out of her reverie because she gave him a confused look as if she had't heard what he said. A small smile touched his lips he reached for her arm so that he could gently pull her into a light embrace. "Olyvar will take care of her, and then she'll be safe with Brienne. You said it yourself Little Wolf, you'll only be parted from her for a few days."

She allowed herself to relax into his arms, being in his company would probably be the only time she would allow herself to put her guard down until they were well away from Lord Baelish. "I try to keep telling myself that. But I was unsettled by the idea of being parted from Brienne and Pod, it's worse now that Sansa has gone, especially since we were only reunited for mere days. I don't like my family being split apart like this. We're all safer when we're together."

"I know." He said, and he was in complete agreement with her. "Let us just get through these next few days, we'll all be together soon enough." He tilted his neck down so that he could allow his lips to brush her forehead lightly in affection, then reluctantly pulled away from her. "Come on, Olyvar and Sansa are probably well away by now. We should go stroll around the castle, let the servants see us, so they can tell Lord Baelish that we were here all night when he questions them tomorrow about Sansa's disappearance."

For the next hour or so, that was exactly what they did. They made sure that plenty of people saw them, several of Petyr Baelish's guards were in the group that observed them talking and laughing as if they didn't have a care in the world. They finally returned to Arya's room, only when it was so late that it would seem odd for the two young people to be wandering about.

"I'll stay with you, until Olyvar gets back, probably in another three hours or so." Theon said as he gracelessly plopped down on her bed.

She let out a small frustrated sigh, "I wish you could stay until morning. I'm going to have a hard time getting any sleep tonight as it is, it's easier for me to relax when you're here."

"I know," He said as he tugged at her hand, forcing her to sit down next to him. "But we're going to be under enough scrutiny as it is tomorrow. I doubt someone finding out that we've been spending our nights together would made us look good."

"I understand the reasoning behind you going to your own room tonight," She said a bit petulantly, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

He gave her an amused smile. "Alright then, why don't you try to get a little bit of sleep before Olyvar returns. We're going to need our wits about us if we're going to get through tomorrow." They both moved to take off their shoes, allowing them to be somewhat more comfortable. Theon adjusted himself on the bed so that he reclined on a couple of pillows. Arya laid down so that she was able to rest her head on his chest, letting the rhythm of his heart beat lull her into a calm.

Theon wasn't sure how long they stayed like that. He eventually heard her breathing even out so that he knew she had fallen asleep. At some point he must have dozed off as well, because before he knew it he was awoken by a soft knock at the door. Their sleep must have been light, because the both shot up as soon as they heard it. Arya had been the first one to the door, opening it up just a crack she saw that it was Olyvar. She backed up so he could quickly slip into her room.

"Everything went according to plan," was the first thing that Olyvar said, and even he found himself surprised by the ease of Sansa's escape. "Nymeria even found us on the way and followed us to the farm. Your sister was was quite happy to see the wolf. I think she might have calmed Sansa down. The farmer was a bit unnerved, especially since it seemed like Nymeria was intent on spending the night there with Brienne, Podrick, and Sansa."

Arya smiled a little at that, "she'll probably follow them to Grey Glen as well."

"See, no need to worry." Theon said as he started to return his boots to his feet. "She not only has Brienne looking out for her, she has Nymeria. She won't let anyone or anything touch your sister."

"And the person Lord Ander had waiting for you with the horses, did he seem trust worthy?" Arya asked.

"I didn't recognize him as anyone from Runestone," Olyvar answered. "But I think he might have been under the impression that I was helping Sansa run away to meet up with a lover her father didn't approve of. I have a feeling that might have been a story Lord Andar gave him just in case he was questioned by Lord Baelish." There was a note of amusement as he relayed the last part.

Theon chuckled, "that might not be a bad story to feed Littlefinger when he asks if know you about her whereabouts."

"We'll have to thank Lord Andar for the idea." Arya said deadpanned, it was clear she was having a hard time finding any humor in the situation. She was far to worried that something would still go wrong.

Olyvar dropped any attempt to lighten the mood when he realized how tense the Stark girl was. He looked to Theon curiously, he seemed to be asking a silent question. _Is Arya okay?_ Olyvar knew that if he had voiced it out loud to the girl, she would have been too proud to answer honestly.

Theon gave one small nod of his head to reassure Olyvar that Arya was fine. Then he stood up from where he was seated and covered his mouth to hide a yawn. "I'm sure you're exhausted Olyvar, you should go get some rest. The next few days will probably not be pleasant for us, you'll want to be prepared."

Olyvar nodded, "I'll see you two in the morning, try to get some rest yourselves." He looked specifically at Arya when he said this.

She rolled her eyes, but she was touched by his concern, "I'll try. Goodnight Olyvar."

Once Olyvar had left the room, Arya turned to look at Theon. She couldn't help but frown because she knew he was about to leave her for the night. She reached and rested the palms of her hands on his chest, then raised herself on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his before he could say good night. It was a gentle, lingering kiss that made him wish he could stay. When he lifted his hands to rest them upon her waist he felt her hands grasp the material of his shirt tightly, it was as if she was trying to hold him there. Even though they both wanted to continue the moment, they broke the kiss.

"I love you," she whispered.

He knew it was her way of saying goodnight to him, so he smiled and whispered, "I love you," back to her, then left her to, if not sleep, then to get her rest.

—

On the morning after Sansa slipped away from Baelish's care, things were a bit chaotic, which Arya thought could only help their situation. Petyr had been furious, and his anger was terrifying because he was quiet. He didn't rant and rave, no, he let it simmer beneath the surface. He questioned everyone within the walls of the keep mercilessly and everything he said was laced with veiled threats. Arya had tried to feed him the story of _Alayne _running off with some lowborn boy, but before she had even finished the ludicrous story she knew that Baelish didn't believe her.

Once Baelish realized that no one in the keep would give him any useful information, he sent out search parties. Lord Royce supplied him with all the men he could, to help further the search along. Even Theon, Olyvar, Andar, and Lord Royce himself joined in several of the searches if only to give the pretense that they were worried about Lord Baelish's daughter. But still not a word was heard from the girl.

On the fourth day of Sansa's disappearance, Lord Baelish received a message via raven. After Petyr had read the message, there seemed to be a subtle shift within his behavior. They could tell he was still worried about Sansa's whereabouts and he still seemed determined to find her, but now he seemed calm. Every once in awhile Arya would get the distinct feeling that he was watching her and when she looked at him he didn't even bother to turn away. Instead he simply offered her a small smile. It seemed whatever news he had received in that message, made him feel more friendly towards her. She could not help but wonder if he had found some proof that she was responsible for Sansa's disappearance and he was trying to get her to let her guard down so she would reveal something to him.

On the fifth day, Arya knew that Theon and Olyvar were going to be joining one of the search parties to keep up appearances. So on that morning she was in no hurry to make her way towards the dining hall to break her fast. She had no desire to sit through a meal with Lord Baelish when neither Theon nor Olyvar there to help her through it. In fact once she was dressed, the thought of leaving her room seemed to overwhelm her. It wasn't so much that she was scared of Littlefinger, it was more like she was worried that he would find a way of tricking her into giving away some key piece of information. He seemed to be very good at that, so she thought it might be safer for her to stay within the safety of her room.

So that was exactly what she did. She had flagged down a servant who had happened past her door, told the woman that she was feeling ill, and asked if it would be too much trouble to have her meals brought to her room. Arya enjoyed the solitude, and the not having to second guess everything she was doing or saying. It was actually kind of relaxing. Things seemed to be going well, until there was a knock at the door. She had thought it was just the servant coming to pick up the empty plates from Arya's midday meal. So without hesitation she went to the door and opened it, only to be surprised that Lord Baelish himself stood before her. For a brief moment she stared at him stunned.

Upon recovering herself, keeping her voice as neutral as possible, she asked, "Lord Baelish, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if I might have a small moment of your time?" He inquired.

At first Arya didn't say anything, she regarded him carefully, wondering what game he was going to play with her today. In turn he kept his calculating gaze upon her, causing her discomfort go grow and realizing that he was waiting for her to speak, she said, "I'm sorry my lord, can this wait until tomorrow? I am feeling a bit ill, I'm afraid my worry for your daughter, my_ friend_, has begun to take its toll on me."

"That is what I wanted to talk to you about my lady," was Petyr's smooth reply. "I have received word that she might have gone through Gulltown to board a boat that would take her further South. I shall be leaving in the morning to investigate the matter first hand. I thought to maybe question you further, perhaps there was something you left out, something that would explain why Alayne would run away with this boy you said she claimed to love. Perhaps you know more than you think you do. Even the smallest detail could be vital. I won't keep you too long."

Her heart soared a little when he mentioned that he would be leaving Runestone, perhaps this was Theon, Olyvar, and her's chance to make their way to the others. But she was still uneasy about having to deal with Littlefinger on her own. "I'm sure I told you everything…"

"Please, my lady," Petyr said gently, "I know you worry about her almost as much as I do. Lord Royce has allowed me the use of a private sitting room. I know it would be improper for a man to visit a young lady's bedroom without a chaperone." The way he said that to her, as if there were some double meaning in his words, gave her pause. Was he alluding to the fact that he might know about Thoen's nightly visits, or was she just reading too much into his words?

Arya tried to think up some excuse to not have to go with him. Nothing she could come up with seemed believable, or at least it wouldn't be without causing Lord Baelish to become more suspicious of her and her motives. She realized that if she wanted this man to leave Runestone altogether, perhaps the best course of action would be to answer his questions. She began to steal herself for the verbal spar she had no doubt would happen and finally said, "of course my lord, if you think questioning me again about Alayne will help to find her, I would be happy to oblige."

"Thank you." He said and this time he allowed himself a genuine smile, then offered her his arm.

She took it hesitantly and then he started to lead them away from the safety of her room. They were half way to their destination when she realized she did not have the comforting weight of Needle at her hip. She hadn't bothered to wear the weapon as she had expected to spend the day confined to her room. It was a mistake that she could not remedy now. She realized she probably wouldn't need her Needle, they were within the confines of Runestone, Lord Royce and his men would be able to keep her safe from any immediate threat this man might pose. But she still felt naked without it and her agitation only increased as they walked further.

Thankfully, it didn't take them all that long to reach their destination, and Arya lost some of her fear when she saw that two of Runestone's guards were waiting at the door to the room they were going to be be conducting their meeting in, even if it was a bit odd. She cast a sideways glance and Lord Baelish, "is there a reason there are guards at your door?"

"Oh," was his offhand response, "I just got the distinct impression that you and your _cousins_ don't trust me all that much. I thought you would be more at ease with guards you trusted being close by. Especially since Lord Royce was called away." He led them into the sitting room and offered her a seat.

She sat down slowly, looking at him with apprehension. "Where did he go?"

"I believe there was some land dispute between a couple of nearby farmers. I'm sure he will return before nightfall." Petyr turned away from her to give his attention to a small table that held a couple of goblets and a carafe of what appeared to be a red wine. "Some wine Lady Jeyne? I found it always helps to calm the nerves."

"I..I suppose some wine would be agreeable." She looked about her surroundings, carefully taking note of anything she could use as a weapon should the need arise. Finding out that Lord Royce was no longer at the keep put her on edge, despite the fact that it was his guards that stood just outside the room. If Lord Baelish tried anything all she had to do was call out to them.

A few seconds later Petyr held out a goblet of wine to her, which she took carefully in her hands. She stared into it thoughtfully for a moment, but neglected to lift it to her lips for a sip. While she contemplated her wine, he poured himself a cup and than took a seat that was opposite to hers. He took a sip of wine before he captured her attention by speaking, "it was wise of you not to trust me my lady."

She looked up at him, "excuse me?"

"I was commending you on your choice not to trust me. If I were in your situation, I would be hesitant to trust a stranger." He said simply.

"I..I am not sure I follow, my lord." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What situation is it that you think I am in?"

There was nothing friendly about the smirk that came to Baelish's face, but his voice was still trying to retain the charm he always spoke with, "come now, we've been dancing around your lies for the last seven days or so. I know who you are Lady Arya, I'm assuming the young man who follows you around almost constantly is Theon Greyjoy. I haven't yet figured out who your other _cousin _is. No doubt probably some noble lord you managed to save from that wedding." He paused a moment to sip his wine. "Butthat doesn't really matter. Anyway, I'm fairly certain that you know that I know who you are. You don't have to bother denying it any longer."

Arya's heart thudded, he had put everything out in the open. Why had he done that? Was he just trying to get her to tell him where Sansa was? Did he have some other motive for confronting her? Was he going to turn her over to the Lannisters? The Freys? The Boltons? He looked down at the goblet she held and realized that she was shaking. Without much of a thought she quickly brought the cup to her lips and drained half the liquid in one gulp. Finally she brought her attention back to Baelish. "What is it exactly that you want?"

He seemed satisfied by her response and the smirk softened into a small smile. "I only have your well being at heart, my lady. I am sure Sansa told you that I married your Aunt before her death, that makes us family by law. That makes you my responsibility."

"Yes, she told me _all_ about you and my Aunt Lysa" Arya practically spat.

Petyr frowned at this, "yes what happened that day was," he searched for the right word, then finally settled on, "unfortunate."

Arya paused a moment to fight off a yawn, she hadn't realized just how tired she truly was. Matching wits with Petyr Baelish only seemed to fatigue her more. "Unfortunate? You killed her." She accused.

"Only to protect your sister." Baelish explained, and Arya doubted the truth in those words.

"I…I don't believe you." Arya said, blinking her eyes as if trying to keep herself awake. Why had this fatigue crept up on her so fast? She had been wide awake only moments before. Unwillingly her head bowed down and the goblet half full of wine came into her view and then it dawned on her. Lazily she picked her head up to look at him accusingly. "What did you give me?"

He offered her a satisfied smile. He seemed quite pleased with himself. "Nothing to worry about, my dear. Something that will only put you to sleep for a few hours while we transport you to a different location. Just rest now." He said putting his own cup down on the table next to his chair and then stood up.

She couldn't even find the strength to respond to his words as the fear of what he was doing to her settled in. Her eyelids dropped closed once more and it was all she could do to force them open again, she watched as as Petyr bid the guards from outside to come in. A fleeting thought went through her mind that they perhaps weren't loyal to Lord Royce after all. She felt the goblet of wine slip from her now relaxed fingers. She vaguely felt the wetness of the spilled wine on her lap, and then registered the soft thud of the goblet as it fell to the floor. Her eyes closed and she couldn't force herself to open them again. She had not yet lost consciousness, she could still hear the men in the room talking. The last thing she heard was Petyr directing the guards to take her to a small fishing boat he had waiting for them. That fishing boat would take them to a larger ship that was waiting for them off the coast near the Fingers. Petyr promised them that they would be paid once Arya was delivered safely.

Her last thoughts before whatever poison Baelish had given her claimed her completely were of her friends and her family. With any luck Sansa was still safely hidden away with Podrick and Brienne. Theon and Olyvar however, they might be in danger. Did Baelish have something planned for them? Even if he didn't, she knew Theon would not take her disappearance well. The last thing that flashed through her mind was, _gods she was going to have to find a way out of this before Theon Greyjoy did something extremely stupid._ And then she slept.

**Author's Note:**

Malyx Blackfyre: No of course it didn't end well, and you seem quite happy by that don't you? :)

Senpen Banka: Thanks you so much. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint.

Jean d'arc: Yep… they were reunited only to be ripped away from each other again… I'm so mean.

Emilystark713: Thank you! I'm happy you're still enjoying this. Sorry it took me so long to get a chapter up!


	26. Chapter 26

Author's Note: I hate summer, it's too busy a season and finding time to write is difficult. As I'm sure you've all noticed with my lack of quick updates. Never fear I will continue writing, it's just going to be slow. I want to thank all of you for reading!

**Chapter 26**

It was late afternoon when Theon, Olyvar, and the the small group they had been riding with came back to Runestone. It had been another unsuccessful day of of looking for Petyr Baelish's _daughter_. Theon felt like putting the effort in pretending to look was getting tedious. With any luck Baelish would come to the conclusion that _Alayne _would have left the area and would take his search elsewhere. Theon was grateful to Royce for helping them, but he was ready to leave Runestone. He was just as anxious as Arya was for their little band of misfits to be together again, and it wouldn't be safe for that to happen until Baelish was gone.

Absentmindedly, Theon dismounted from his horse and handed the reigns to a stable hand and then waited impatiently for Olyvar to do the same. He couldn't help but glare at the other boy when he realized that Olyvar was taking his time. "Are you ready yet?" Theon did not keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Olyvar only gave him an amused smile, and then turned the care of the horse he had been riding over to another stable boy. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were in such a hurry." He nodded to the keep's entrance, "shall we?" The two of them started to make their way to the doors, and once Olyvar was fairly certain the were out of earshot of anyone he let out a small chuckle. "You know the anxiety you feel when you're separated from Arya cannot be very healthy." He teased.

Theon shot Olyvar a glare, "it's not the separation that bothers me," he argued. Well, being away from her _did_ bother him, but he thought that was a fairly natural reaction for him to have, considering what had happened to the two of them at _the wedding_. But it was getting easier for him to not worry about her so much when they couldn't be together. "I don't like leaving her alone with Lord Baelish in such close proximity, especially since we suspect he knows her true identity."

"Lord Royce was here too, I doubt anything happened. Relax." Olyvar said as the stepped inside the main door. "I'll go report to Lord Royce the progress we've had in our search for _Alayne_, or rather the lack of it." He kept his voice barely above a whisper. "You go make sure Arya hasn't gotten into any trouble. I'll come find the two of you when I'm done."

Theon just nodded his thanks to Olyvar. Then silently they parted ways, Olyvar going to find Lord Royce, while Theon made his way to Arya's room. It was the first place he thought to look for her, knowing that if she needed to find any sort of solace she would find it within the privacy her room offered. When he reached her door, he knocked gently. When she didn't answer him at first, he tried again, this time applying a little more force to the knock.

Again there was no answer. That was what planted the first seed of worry in his mind. He cast a quick glance down the hall and noticed a servant was headed in his direction. "You," Theon spat out at the girl, a frown distorting his features. His worry had started to grow and he couldn't bother to be polite. "Do you know where Lady Jeyne is?"

The serving girl stopped abruptly, a fearful glint coming to her eyes at seeing how hostile Theon looked, "I..I…" she paused trying to collect herself, "she should be in there m'lord. She said she was sick, she's been in her room all day."

Theon's scowl only deepened. "She's not answering her door."

"Perhaps she is sleeping, m'lord." The girl quivered. "Maybe her condition has grown worse. If you would like I could go fetch the Maester."

Theon shook his head as he turned his attention back to the door. "No, I don't think she would appreciate that." He reached for the latch and then pushed the door open, only to be confronted with an empty room. He could feel his body start to tense up. He knew there could be a logical explanation for her not being there. She could be walking the gardens, or spending time with Lady Ysilla. He tried telling himself that the sudden feeling that something was very wrong was only him over reacting to the fact that he hadn't seen her all day. His voice was very quiet when he spoke to the servant girl again. "You are absolutely sure that she said she was feeling ill?"

"Yes..yes m'lord." The girl said meekly. Sensing the tension in his tone, she worried that anything she said might make the young noble lord loose his tempter. "But, but perhaps she started to feel better. Would you like me to go look for her?"

"No." Theon said flatly. His eyes slowly took in the surroundings, hoping that she left some clue as to where she had wandered off too. That was when he saw Needle resting haphazardly on the table near her bed, and he knew without a doubt that something had happened to her. Slowly, he walked over to the small sword and gripped the hilt tightly. It was all he could do to keep his voice even, his eyes still glaring down at the object he held as if it had betrayed him. "But could you please go fetch Lord Royce."

This seemed to confuse the servant girl, she doubted Lord Royce would be too concerned that Lady Jeyne wasn't in her room. However she could tell that the young man before her was very upset by that fact, so she offered what little help she could, even if she knew he wouldn't like what she had to say. "I'm sorry m'lord. Lord Royce was summoned away from Runestone for the afternoon. Would you like me to go and get Lord Andar? I'm sure he'd be happy to help look for Lady Jeyne."

Upon hearing this news, Theon leveled his gaze at the poor girl. He doubted it was a coincidence that Lord Royce was called away on the same day that both him and Olyvar would also be away from Runeston. _Lord Baelish set this up, _was his first thought. His grip on Needle's hilt tightening so much that his knuckles turned white. "Bring. Lord Andar. Here. Now." He ground out the words, almost as if it physically hurt him to say them as calmly as he could.

The girl practically fled to do his bidding. She could tell that Theon was barely holding on to his temper, and she knew the best thing to do would be to find Lord Andar and let him handle it. She passed Olyvar, who had just found out about Royce's departure and was on his way to find his friends. He gave her a curious glance and then looked into Arya's room, even though Theon's back was to him, Olyvar could tell by Theon's rigid stance that something was wrong.

"Theon…" Olyvar started nervously.

"She's gone." This was all Theon said to Olyvar, but it was in that eerie calm voice that people had just before they were about to lose themselves in a rage.

Olyvar blinked trying to make sense of what Theon said. "You're sure? She could be anywhere on the grounds, you might be jumping to conclusions."

Theon turned to look at him and simply responded with the same words. "She's gone." Olyvar could tell by the glint in his friend's eye that he wanted to take some sort of action against the person they both knew was responsible for Arya's disappearance. And that action would most likely be violent.

"Careful," Olyvar responded as calmly as he could, "we don't know that she's gone. She's just not-"

Theon lifted Needle quickly to make a point. "Do you think she would leave this behind?" He snarled. "She doesn't feel safe without it."

"And yet there still might be an explanation." Olyvar said trying to calm Theon. But even he knew that things looked awfully suspicious. He should have sensed something was amiss when he found out Lord Royce had been so urgently needed to settle a land dispute. It was the first time something like that had happened during their stay at Runestone. It was too much of a coincidence that it happened on a day that Arya wouldn't have her most loyal companions with her.

"I'm going to kill him." That calm was still in Theon's voice, but there was a wild look in his eyes that almost scared Olyvar. And when Theon said _him, _Olyvar knew exactly he who he was talking about. Theon took one step towards the door.

Instantly Olyvar moved to intercept him. "Think about that Theon, it wouldn't be wise, we don't have any proof that Arya has even gone missing. And we certainly can't out right accuse Lord Bealish of having a hand in it. "

"Who else could it have been?" Theon said forcefully, it was clear that he had his mind made up. He glared at Olyvar who stood firmly in his way. "Move."

Olyvar held his ground, despite the murderous glare his friend was giving him. He knew that if he let Theon do something stupid in a fit of rage, Arya would kill him once they found her. He had no doubt that if she was missing, they _would_ find her. "If he did something to her, do you think he would even still be here? And if he was here, do you think you would get any answers from him by brandishing a weapon at him?" He said nodding to the Needle in Theon's hand.

Both of the points Olyvar had brought up, seemed to give Theon pause and he took a few moments to give them some thought. He reminded himself that if this was Lord Baelish's doing, if Arya really was gone, they were playing Lord Baelish's game. And that man's game wasn't played with swords and force, but with words and subtlety . Some of the wild rage that had been in Theon's gaze ebbed away. Olyvar had no doubt the anger could return at any moment, but for now Theon only gave him a lost look.

"He took her," Theon said helplessly, "what if he ki-"

"He wouldn't. Arya Stark's not useful to anyone if she's not alive." Olyvar said firmly. "And if he took her, we'll find her."

It was then that Lord Andar made his appearance. He glanced curiously at the two young men. He already knew that something was wrong from the way the servant girl had stumbled over her words when she came to fetch him. The poor girl had seemed beyond frightened by the way Theon had treated her. He grew even more concerned when he saw how serious the two young lords were acting. "What happened?" He asked anxiously.

Instead of an answer, Theon looked at him and a spark of that anger had appeared in his eyes again. Instead of answering Lord Ander, he asked a question of his own. "Where is Lord Baelish?"

His brow furrowing in confusion, Andar answered, "he's in his rooms packing. He says he has a lead as to where his daughter is and he'll be leaving tomorrow to follow up on it." He paused and then looked around the room that Arya had been using. "Where is Lady Arya?"

"We don't know." Olyvar said quickly before Theon could snap out a response.

Andar could see the worry in Olyvar's face, and the fear in Theon's. "Of course," he tried to sound reassuring, "we'll have the grounds searched. I'm sure we'll find her…" he trailed off when he saw Theon's reaction to his words. Theon had held up Needle once again to prove a point, and Andar realized it was the sword the Stark girl always wore at her hip. In fact he had never seen her without it, and he realized that Theon and Olyvar's concern was well founded.

Theon lowered his hand when he saw his point had been made. "I wish to speak to Lord Baelish." He said dully.

"Of course." Andar agreed. "But first we have to search the grounds before we accuse anyone. There is a slim chance that this could all be a misunderstanding, and I don't want to risk insulting Lord Baelish when it could have been avoided." He saw that Theon was about to object, but he held up his hand to keep the boy from speaking. "We have to do this the right way, or Lord Baelish could get away with this." He waited for Theon to reluctantly nod his head in agreement. "And when we do talk to him, you will do so unarmed." Andar said nodding to Needle.

Theon looked down at Arya's beloved sword and he let his tight grip loosen slightly. He knew Lord Andar made sense, but he was also loath to put the thing down. Some irrational part of his mind felt that if he let Needle go he would be letting Arya go too.

Olyvar must have known what he was thinking because he moved to stand beside Theon, then rested his hand on Theon's shoulder. "We'll find her." He said it with such conviction that Theon couldn't help but believe him. Without another word Theon set the sword down on Arya's bed.

"Good," Andar said, and then with some degree of authority in his voice he bid the other two to follow him. "Come, we have yet another search to organize."

—

Over the next hour, the search revealed that Arya was no longer at Runestone. Lord Yohn Royce had returned home thirty minutes into the search and was told immediately of what had developed while he was gone. Even he held no hope that she would be found, but they kept looking in vain. With every minute that passed, Theon felt like she was slipping further and further away from him. The search hadn't even been completed when he decided to give up on looking for her personally and he found himself stalking off to Lord Royce's private sitting room. He thought he should inform Yohn that he was going to confront Baelish.

Imagine his surprise when he burst into the room, only to find Lord Baelish already sitting across from where Lord Royce sat. Runestone's Maester Helliweg was also there, stoically listening into the conversation between the two men. For a moment, Theon carefully took in the scene before him, Royce was obviously tense and uncomfortable, while Baelish seemed calm and at ease. The two men looked up at him the moment he made his entrance. Theon felt a sudden loss of words. Now that the man he wanted to confront was sitting before him, so much fear and anger flooded his mind, that he could think of nothing to say. He took a menacing step towards the Petyr, and was pleasantly surprised when the confident glint in the man's eye seemed to disappear and was replaced with a small flash of fear.

Before Theon could do anything rash, he felt a hand at his shoulder, gently restraining him. Olvyar must have come into the room after him. Ever since they had discovered Arya's absence, Olyvar had stuck close to Theon, hoping that he would be able to stop any situation like this from escalating into violence.

Royce seeing that he had to defuse the situation quickly said, "Lord Baelish was just here offering any assistance he could in helping us to find Lady Jeyne."

Theon narrowed his eyes at Petyr, but he let his body relax allowing Olyvar to know that he wouldn't strike out at Baelish for the moment. Instead he worked at keeping his voice even. "Where is she?"

Having recovered his calm demeanor, Petyr looked at Theon curiously. "Are you accusing me of something _Lord Jon?_"

"No one else would have a motive to take her." Theon stated.

A look of surprise came to Petyr's face. "For what reason would I have need of a girl from from a minor branch of a noble family who holds very little power within the Vale?" He condescended

"You knew she wasn't Jeyne Tollett. You knew who she really was." Theon spat out.

Instantly the room went quiet. Both Royce and Olyvar clearly surprised that Theon had so openly admitted their deception. A small, seemingly smug smile came to Petyr Baelish's face. Maester Helliweg didn't seem surprised by the fact that Arya had been posing as someone else. Briefly, Theon wondered if Lord Royce had told the Maester who they really were from the start. He wouldn't have been surprised if Helliweg was as trusted an advisor to Royce, as Luwin had been to the Starks. When no one said anything for a few moments, Theon wondered if maybe he had made a mistake in revealing that Jeyne Tollett didn't exist.

Finally, the quiet was broken by a knock at the door. The Maester moved to answer it and for a few seconds talked quietly with whoever it was that was interrupting.

Baelish took this moment to respond to Theon's accusations. "Perhaps I did have my suspicions about who Lady Jeyne was, you've only now confirmed them, Lord Theon." He further took away need for any pretenses by using the boy's real name. "This also means that you knew the true identity of Alayne. Which might lead me to suspect that you know the whereabouts of Sansa Stark."

Theon instantly saw his mistake. By telling Baelish who Arya and himself really were, he had inadvertently told the man that they had every reason to help Sansa leave Lord Baelish's company. He tried to come up with a cover for his error. "If we had taken Sansa, don't you think we would have gone with her? Once reunited with her sister, Arya wouldn't have been willingly parted from her."

"And why would I be here allowing you to question me if I had managed to kidnap the youngest Stark girl." Petyr countered, the lie easily rolling off his tongue. "I don't know where Arya Stark is anymore than you know where her sister is." The last part wasn't a lie, he knew exactly where Arya was, and he knew that Theon knew where Sansa was.

Theon narrowed his eyes at those words, he wasn't sure but he thought he sensed a double meaning in the words Baelish spoke. Was he subtly admitting that he had Arya? Did Baelish think that if he told them where Arya was, that they would tell him where Sansa was? Was that why he was still at Runestone?

Before Theon could think up a reply Maester Helliweg cleared his throat. He had finished talking with the person who had knocked at the door and it appeared he had something to report to the rest of them. "The master-at-arms reports that two of our guards have failed to report in. No one seems to know where they went and they cannot be found anywhere on the grounds." The man said somberly.

Theon looked to Lord Royce and saw that the man's frown deepened.

"It seems the mystery of who has taken the girl has been solved." Lord Baelish said with satisfaction. "All the men I brought with me from the Eyrie are accounted for. If you don't believe me, feel free to examine my staff, but it seems that I have been proven innocent."

"Yes, that's very convenient," muttered Olyvar. It was plain to see that the Baelish had orchestrated the whole scenario in order to throw suspicion off of himself. He must have paid the two Runestone guards handsomely to betray Lord Royce and help Baelish with his dirty work. Or perhaps they had always been in the man's pocket. Baelish had been known to have eyes and ears all over Westeros, maybe those men had been his eyes and ears at Runestone for years.

Baelish choose to ignore the comment. "If I was able to figure out who Lady Arya was, perhaps someone else figured it out as well, Lord Yohn. There is a sizable reward out for the girl, one that might tempt the less loyal men in your employ to abscond with the girl so they could collect the coin. For all I know, that could have also happened with Lady Sansa. It makes me wonder just how safe Runestone is."

"Runestone _is _safe." Yohn Royce said with conviction. He resisted the urge to say that it had only become unsafe the moment Lord Baelish had arrived.

"I am not so sure. Under your care two noble born girls have managed to disappear, and I no longer feel that leaving Lord Robin here would be beneficial. I fear that he might be the next person to go missing. He'll be leaving with me in the morning. There are other lords in the Vale that I feel would be able to keep him safer, while I continue my search for Lady Sansa." Baelish said.

For a moment Yohn just looked at him, his lips pressed together in a thin line. So that had been Baelish's real reason for staying after he had secured Arya's capture. He needed a plausible reason to not foster the heir to the Eyrie at Runestone. In harboring Arya Stark, Theon Greyjoy, and their friends and then helping them to rescue Sansa Stark, he had proven his disloyalty to Lord Petyr Baelish. And Baelish could not allow Royce to have control of Lord Robin, because whoever had control of Robin, held all the power in the Vale.

There was nothing Lord Royce could do about it, anyone who didn't know the facts of the situation would think that Lord Baelish was acting rationally. "I leave that do your discretion, you are the boy's guardian." He said stiffly.

"Then I shall take my leave of you." Petyr said as he stood up from his seat. "I hope that you succeed in finding your lost Stark girl." He didn't even try to hide the small amount of amusement that had crept into his voice. He knew that they would not succeed, he would make certain of that.

It was all Theon could do not to punch the smug man's face. Instead he opted for a verbal assault. "And I hope you find Sansa. She's a wanted woman too, isn't she? Don't they think she had a part to play in killing the king? It would be a shame if she found her way back to King's Landing and told Queen Cersei all about how you helped her escape. Isn't that considered treason, Lord Baelish?"

Petyr took a few seconds to scrutinize Theon, impressed that he managed not to act out physically. "Yes, I suppose I did commit an act of treason and it would be unfortunate should that fact ever be discovered by the wrong people. It would be just as unfortunate if anyone should find out that Lord Royce was giving safe haven to the son of Balon Greyjoy, a man in open rebellion against the Crown. Or that at one time he had one of the last living members of the traitorous Stark family within his grasp and did not turn her over to the Crown."

"Yes, it seems we would both have a lot to lose should word of what went on here got back to King's Landing." Seethed Royce before Theon could answer. "It looks like we'll all have to keep quiet about Arya and Sansa's disappearance." He knew that Baelish's little speech was his reminder to them, that should they decide to tell someone about what he had done, that they would also have to reveal their crimes as well.

"Good, I'm glad we can all agree on that." Baelish commented and then moved to the door. Then in one last veiled threat he said, "And I remind you Lord Theon to be careful. People are looking for you too, and while you might not fetch quite such a good price as the Stark girls, someone might think you're worth kidnapping too."

Then with a confidence only Petyr Baelish could show in a situation like this, he stepped out of the room. That threat he had thrown at Theon had no real meaning behind it. Baelish had no intentions of stealing away with the Greyjoy boy, at least not at the present time. He had no doubt that at some point in the future he would have a chance to capture him. He was fairly certain that the boy would eventually reunite with Sansa, and once his people found her they would find Theon too. But for now he had to concentrate on finishing up his business with Arya Stark.

The first person to say something after Baelish had left, was Lord Royce. "I'll put extra guards at your door tonight. I'm sorry about Lady Arya, I should have been more careful with her, with the both of you really."

Olyvar shook his head. "We underestimated him, even after all of Lady Sansa's warnings. None of this is your fault."

"He knows where she is." Theon didn't seem to catch the last exchange between Royce and Olyvar. His only concern was for Arya, and it terrified him to know that Baelish was the one responsible for her disappearance. Who knew what the man had planned for her? Whatever it was it could only be good for Petyr Baelish, he was ambitious, and he would use whatever means he had to help him gain more power. Theon doubted that meant anything good for Arya, "And there's nothing we can do about it. How in the Seven Hells am I supposed to find her?"

"We could follow him when he leaves." Olyvar said with a shrug, as if that was the only possible solution. "If it was just the two of us, we could probably escape his notice." He looked to Yohn, "you could send a message to the Tolletts and have them tell Sansa what had happened. Would they be willing to hide her a little longer?"

It was Maester Helliweg who spoke up. "My lords, I think I might have a better idea."

Royce, Theon, and Olyvar looked at him curiously. "Lord Baelish received a raven several days ago. I managed to read the message before I gave it to him. Forgive me my lord," he said this to Royce, "I know you usually don't approve of me intruding on the privacy of your guests, but I knew you didn't trust this man. I was merely being prudent."

Olyvar seemed to be confused by this. "Wasn't the message sealed." He noticed that the Maester nodded his head, "how were you able to tamper with the seal without Lord Baelish noticing?"

"A trick I learned over time, Lord Olyvar. It's not something I feel comfortable doing, but a necessary evil sometimes. This time I believe it was worth the risk and the intrusion. From the contents of that message Lord Baelish received, I believe I know where he's going to take Lady Arya."

—

On the first day of Arya's confinement, she woke up with a headache. It was no doubt caused by whatever poison Baelish had given her. She could tell she was laying upon something soft, a mattress probably provided by Lord Baelish. At least he allowed his prisoners some sort of comfort. She was in a small, darkened room that had no windows, so there was no way for her to tell where she was, or what time of day it was. When she tried to stand up and to take a few steps forward she felt a sway to her step. She briefly wondered if it was another aftereffect of the drug, but then quickly remembered that Baelish had said something about taking her to a boat.

Once she grew accustomed to the movement of the boat, she started to explore her surroundings. It was hard to see in the dark, so she used her hands to feel along the walls, hoping to find the latch of a door. When she did find one, she was not surprised to find that it was locked. They were smart to keep her caged, given the chance she would have tried to escape, and even would have taken her chances jumping into the Narrow Sea and swimming for shore. With a frustrated sigh, she turned around in the dark and made her way back to the bed. There was really nothing for her to do except to wait and see what happened next.

It wasn't long before the door opened. An older woman came into the cabin with a cup of water and a small plate with bread and cheese on it. She set both down on a small table that Arya hadn't noticed before. She then moved to light a lantern that had been bolted to the table.

Arya looked curiously at the woman as she moved around silently. "Who are you? Where am I?"

The woman didn't answer, gave Arya a withering glare, and then turned to leave. Arya heard the door lock once the woman had closed it. She frowned, at least now she had some light. She eyed the food with distrust. The last time she had accepted something, it had been laced with a drug that rendered her unconscious. She was not willing to repeat that mistake. So instead of eating she took the time to take a closer look at the cabin in which she now resided. It didn't take long, it was bare except for the bed, the table, a small stool, a bucket (she supposed that was where she was to relieve herself), the food, and the lantern. There was nothing useful there.

With nothing to do she laid back down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She wondered if Theon had discovered she was gone, if he was looking for her at that moment, and if he had figured out what had happened to her. She knew that he would jump to the right conclusion, that Petyr Baelish had taken her. She hoped that Olyvar would be able to stop him from doing something stupid. She wondered how Sansa was and if she was still safe. Were Pod and Brienne taking good care of her? She wondered where her captor was. She wondered where he was taking her. She wondered if she should try to make it past the woman when she came back to retrieve the food she didn't eat and water that she didn't drink. She wondered if she could use the plate as some sort of weapon. Eventually she wondered herself to sleep.

When she woke up, the food and water were gone. She must have been more tired then she thought if she had slept through someone entering the room again. Her throat was dry and she almost regretted not having the water, and her stomach rumbled. It must have been hours since she last ate anything. It was hard to tell time when you had nothing to measure it by. She wondered if she would be offered food and water again. A short time later the same woman came back with food and water. Arya attempted to talk to her again, and again she was ignored.

After a few moments of contemplation Arya decided to take her chances with the water. Much to her relief she didn't fall unconscious after drinking it, and came to the conclusion that the food would be safe to eat too. She supposed that there was really no need for Baelish to drug her again. She was already firmly within his care.

This was how the first few days of her captivity passed. Endless boredom, endless worry for those she loved, and endless amounts of time planning her revenge for when she got out of this mess. They couldn't keep her on this boat forever. Once they allowed her on solid ground again, she would escape. She just had to wait for the right opportunity.

Then one morning, or at least she thought it was morning, she awoke to the sight of Petyr Baelish sitting on the stool, staring her with curiosity. She sat up quickly, his very presence disconcerting her. How long had he been watching her sleep? It didn't take her long to recover her senses, and her surprise quickly turned into anger.

"Good morning." Petyr said when he saw that he had her attention. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come talk with you sooner. I had some things I needed to take care of at Runestone and some other business to attend to in the Vale before I could join you."

Ignoring any pleasantries, she asked, "where am I?" Her tone was hostile, her stare was deadly.

Petyr knew that if she had a weapon within her reach, he would have been dead within seconds. But since she didn't, he was able to offer her a relaxed smile. "On a boat, headed for White Harbor."

_North_, _they were going North._ She thought in relief. The Manderly seat was White Harbor, she remembered her father saying that Wyman Manderly was a loyal bannarman. Perhaps she could find a way to escape once they disembarked from the ship and find safety at New Castle. Petyr's smile betrayed his amusement, he realized where her thoughts were going.

"We won't be staying there long, my lady, long enough to gather supplies and some horses for the next part of our journey," he assured her, "and I'll be keeping a close watch on you. I wouldn't want to lose you."

Arya frowned. "Where will you be taking me after we leave White Harbor?"

"Why, I'm taking you home." He said, and his voice was gentle and it sounded like he thought he was doing her a favor.

"Winterfell?" She asked in horror. "You're taking me to the Boltons? Why? Haven't you accumulated enough wealth that any reward they offer for me would be meaningless?"

"I'm not doing this for the coin." He answered. "You see, I offered Sansa's hand in marriage to Roose Bolton's son, Ramsay. They eagerly accepted the proposal, I'm sure Roose thinks that should his son marry a Stark, the Northern lords would be more willing to accept his rule, thus solidifying his hold on the North. You disrupted my plans by taking Sansa, I thought it would only be fitting for you to take her place."

Her first concern had been about what he had intended for Sansa, she couldn't bring herself to think about what it now meant for her. At least Sansa would be spared from the fate of marrying Ramsay Bolton. "Your plan is flawed. Sansa is already married, she can't marry again."

"There are ways around that. Tyrion never consummated the marriage." He saw that she was about remind him that the High Septon would still have to annul the marriage, but he spoke before she said anything, "and I'm sure you didn't know this, but I found out some time ago that Lord Tyrion was married before. To a girl with no name or fortune of her own, Lord Tywin did not approve of course. Tywin said he had the marriage annulled, but there is some question as to the validity of that. So your sister's marriage might not be legitimate at all. However, it's true, your sister's marital status is bit murky. That's why you taking her place, really simplifies things."

"Won't Lord Bolton be upset that you delivered the wrong girl?"

"I doubt it." Baelish answered easily. "He only cares for your name. Besides, they had always intended to use you for this purpose after they betrayed your brother, but you managed to slip through their fingers."

"What would you get out of all of this?" Arya spat

"A strong alliance with the Warden of the North." Petyr said simply. There was more to it than that. He had always intended to use Sansa to gain power in the North and he had every intention of using Arya to do the same. It didn't matter which girl married Ramsay, the Bolton's power in the North would always be tenuous.

Stannis Baratheon had an army waiting at the Wall to take over Westeros. His first order of business would be to oust the Boltons, and hopefully name the Stark girl Wardeness of the North. Should Stannis succeed either of the Stark girls would merely be Petyr's puppet, he doubted either of them would know how to rule. He could manipulate Sansa with kindness and Arya with threats. (It never occurred to him that he might be underestimating his power over either of the them.) Even if Stannis failed and his bid for the Iron Throne ended in the North, the Boltons were a hated family, and eventually some of the more powerful Northern lords would revolt. The North would always remember the Boltons betrayal of their chosen King and their cruelty. Either way there would be chaos in the North and Petyr Baelish would step in with his knights of the Vale and restore order. He just had to wait, and he was a very patient man.

Arya wasn't stupid she knew he wasn't telling her the whole truth, but she didn't particularly care about his true motives. Especially since she wasn't going to go along with this plan. "You can't make me marry anyone."

"You're right, of course, I can't." Petyr agreed. "But there would be consequences if you didn't agree to this arrangement."

Arya's eyes narrowed. "Consequences?"

He let out a small chuckle. "Who's to say you're the only one I was able to sneak out of Runestone." He was a skilled liar, and he knew he could sell this one to Arya. The Greyjoy boy wasn't actually in Petyr's custody. Even as the spoke, Theon had probably been reunited with Sansa. The two of them were probably coming up with some desperate plan to save Arya. Perhaps he would even be able to make this lie that he was about to tell Arya, come true when they made their attempt to rescue her. He knew Theon loved the youngest Stark girl, and people in love made stupid mistakes and Petyr would take advantage of any mistake Theon made. He had no doubt that he would soon have control of both Theon and Sansa once more. Both of them would be useful tools in which to manipulate Arya.

The true beauty of this lie would be that she wouldn't even have to be fully convinced of what he said. He just had to make sure that what he said was possible. "Theon Greyjoy was very worried about you, it was easy to lure him away with promises of me taking him to you. Once he was alone a couple of my men were easily able to subdue him. I have a feeling you think yourself to be in love with him, probably just as much as he thinks he's in love with you. And I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to him, should you decide to be difficult."

She visibly paled when she heard this. She tried to tell herself that Baelish was lying, that Theon wouldn't be stupid enough to go anywhere alone with him, especially after she had made that mistake. "I want proof. I want to see him."

He shook his head, "I'm sorry that's not possible. He's safely stashed away with one of my friends in the Vale. I can tell you're skeptical, but do you really want to take the chance that I'm lying? And even if you thought I was lying, there are other reasons for going along with my plans. I would have no problem informing the King that your friend Lord Yohn Royce aided Theon Greyjoy, yourself, and your sister. I could even manage to plant false evidence that would implicate him in the conspiracy to kill King Joffrey if I had the mind to do so. Is that how you would repay his kindness? And my men in the Vale, are still looking for your sister, and we both know that Sansa is still wanted by the Crown. Should I find her, and you refused to marry Lord Ramsay, I wouldn't hesitate to turn her over to Queen Cersei."

She balled her hands into fists of frustration. "You would resort to blackmail?"

"There's a lot I would resort to if it meant that I would get what I wanted, Lady Arya."

Arya let the implications of his threats seep into her mind. She knew that Baelish was capable of doing everything that he promised. She knew he could ruin the Royce family, that he wasn't above hurting both Theon and Sansa should she refuse to marry Ramsay Bolton. It was of course possible that he might never find Sansa, or that he was lying about having Theon. But would she be willing to take that risk?

She couldn't bring herself to look up at Baelish. "Then I suppose you've given me no choice."

—

**Author's Note:**

Malyx Blackfyre: Seriously, you put this little Ramsay plot seed in my head. So thanks for that.

ATP: AHH don't worry, she's not dead, she was just drugged! I would never do that to Arya! So she won't have to be resurrected via Red Priest or Priestess, nor Night's King style

Jean d'arc: Thank you! I hate Littlefinger, he's so…sleazy, and creepy, and he's too damn smart.

Elfsquire90: It was very foolish, and she was lulled into thinking she was safe at Runestone, so she made mistakes. I kind of felt it was time for one of them to make a stupid mistake. Arya and Theon always seemed to worm their way out of danger, I thought I'd make it a little harder on them this time.

Andi: I hope keeping you on your toes is a good thing!

Guest: Well, he's sort of using Arya in the same way as he did with Sansa in the show. BUT just because something happened to Sansa in the show doesn't mean it will happen to Arya!

Senpen Banka: Thank you very much! The chapter was nerve-wracking to write.

Darklight-phoenix: Thank you! I too love the idea of Brienne and Arya working together. I think they would make awesome duo. There needs to be more stories about the two of them! And Baelish is a jerk!

Naruoske: Thank you so much! I always thought Theon was a complex character, I'm so happy you like my version of him. As for writing other characters view points, I probably won't with this one, mostly because I'm focusing mainly on Arya and Theon, so if neither of them are in the scene I probably won't write about it. However, I have been kicking around some ideas that would go into the other story lines for companion pieces. Like what was happening with Rickon, Osha, and Yara while Theon and Arya were having their adventure. And with what I want to do with Sansa in future chapters… that would definitely deserve a separate story.


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note**: So, this week sucked. My internet has been acting up so I couldn't get this posted properly. Haha, it took going to another state and using someone else's wireless just to be able to get this chapter up. Which brings me to the fact that I might not be able to get a chapter up next week because I am on vacation. I'll try, but no promises. Anyway, thanks for reading everyone!

**Chapter 27**

"That's Grey Glen, seat of House Tollett," Lord Yohn Royce said as he nodded in the direction of a small keep in the distance. The group he had been traveling with had come to a stop in order to take in their surroundings. He figured the young men who traveled with him would be happy to hear that they had almost reached their destination. However, he wasn't surprised when neither of them responded to him right away. Theon and Olyvar had barely spoken since they had left Runestone.

Their small party, that consisted of the three lords and a handful of men-at-arms, had departed from Runestone the previous afternoon, not too long after Petyr Baelish taken his leave. They had rode through most of the night, taking only few hours rest before Theon insisted that they move on. He was anxious to be reunited with Sansa, Podrick, and Brienne. The sooner that was done, the sooner they could head North, after Arya.

Finally after a few moments of silence, Olyvar spoke up. "Were we followed?"

"I didn't see anyone, but I'm sure we were." Royce answered. "Lord Baelish isn't stupid, he knew we would probably attempt to make contact with the other Stark girl. I have no doubt he had the two of you watched from the moment he left Runestone. But I'm sure Andar has taken care of that problem." They had already planned for the eventuality that someone would track their movements. Andar, with a couple of guards of his own, had left Runestone a couple of hours after they had, hoping to intercept anyone who might be too interested in the main traveling party.

"I hope you're right." Was all Olyvar could think to say. "Let us get going then. We have a lot to discuss with the others once we're there." Royce's response was to start leading the way and his men followed easily behind him. Theon held back, glaring hatefully at Grey Glen. Olyvar stayed with him, worried about what might be going through his friend's head. "What's wrong?" Theon gave him an incredulous glance before putting his attention back on Grey Glen. Olyvar rolled his eyes, "I mean besides the obvious, what's wrong?"

For a brief moment there was silence, then "I have to tell Sansa that her sister is missing. I was so caught up in worrying about Arya, in trying to come up with a way find her, that I forget I was going to to have to tell Sansa about what happened."

"She knew who Baelish was. I doubt she'll blame you." Olyvar tried to reassure her.

"She has every right to blame me. She asked me to take care of her sister, the only family she had left who she _knew_ was safe. I turn my back on him for one day, and he takes her from me. I _blame_ myself." Theon said bitterly.

"He would have found a way to take her even if you had been there. If anything he might have tried to snatch you up too. None of us thought she would be unsafe within Runestone. He's bold and and he's sneaky. He just seized an opportunity when neither of us were there to protect her. Honestly, I'm not even sure how he managed to do it at all. That girl doesn't need a lot of protection. He must have done something to her to keep her from putting up a fight." Olyvar rationalized. "This isn't your fault."

Theon didn't respond with words, he just nodded his head. Then he commanded his horse to follow the rest of their party. Olyvar sighed, then followed suit, knowing that he didn't get through to Theon. It was going to be a long afternoon.

Thirty minutes later, their horses trotted into Grey Glen's courtyard. There was the normal bustle of activity as stable hands came to collect and care for their horses. Lord Tollett had been outside waiting to greet them. Brienne, Podrick, and Sansa (Nymeria by her side) all stood next to him. Theon's guilt tripled when he saw that Ssansa's eyes searched each face expecting to find the one that belonged to her sister. The moment her gaze reached his, she knew that something was terribly wrong. He easily dismounted from his horse and started over to where the small group of people waited for him.

Sansa didn't wait for him to reach her, she met him half way. Nymria following close behind. The concern in her eyes slowly ebbing away to anger. "Where is my sister?" She asked, her voice cold and accusing. Her eyes narrowed in a fury that Theon hadn't realize she could possess. King's Landing really had hardened her.

In his shame, Theon's eyes darted away from her and looked to Brienne and Pod, who had just joined the two of them. Then he turned his attention down to Nymeria, who nudged his hand and gave him a soft whine. He quickly tried to come up with a way to soften the blow to Sansa, but he knew there was no way to make what he had to say easier for her to hear. He forced himself to look Sansa in the eye. "He took her." She would know who _he _was.

"How?" Sansa asked. "I told you to be careful of him. I warned you all that he was devious. How did you let your guard down? You promised me you would protect her, Theon!" Nymeria growled slightly with accusations of her own.

"I wasn't at Runestone when it happened, we're not completely sure as to how it happened…" Theon tried to explain.

It was Brienne who had interrupted him. "You left her alone," she said with disbelief, "with Littlefinger?"

"I didn't leave her alone." Theon practically snapped at her. "I left her there with our host."

Olyvar found his way over to the group just in time to hear Brienne's question. "Lord Royce was called away with some unexpected business." He added trying to help Theon. "Nobody thought Baelish would he would try something while we were under Royce's protection."

Sansa's fury ridden eyes bored into Theon. Her jaw was clenched as she thought about all the possibilities of what could have happened to Arya. With the fear and anger swirling about within her she needed to blame someone, and Theon was the easy target. He _loved_ Arya, he was supposed to _protect_ her. He _failed._ In some corner of her mind she realized she was being irrational, but the person who was really to blame, wasn't there. And before she realized what she was doing she raised her hand and slapped him across the face. "I _warned_ you," Sansa reiterated.

For a moment everyone stared agape at Sansa. Everyone except for Theon, he knew he deserved her anger. Even though his cheek stung from where her hand had made contact, he didn't think it was enough. "I know, you don't have to remind me of the mistake that I made."

"Sansa, you're not being fair." Olyvar told her quietly.

"Why haven't you gone after her?" Sansa ignored both of them, her panic tinged voice raised slightly.

Lord Royce's attention must have been attracted by Sansa's voice. Before either Theon and Olyvar could say anything he made his way over to the group and answered for them. "Because he outmaneuvered us and managed to get her away before we figured out the truth of what happened. Although, at the moment that doesn't matter because we have a very good idea as to where he might be taking her." His voice was quiet and he gave a furtive glance around the yard to make sure no one was paying them any attention. "However, I would suggest that we tell you the whole story inside, where we won't draw any attention."

It didn't take long for Lord Uthor Tollett to have a midday meal prepared and set out for them in the main dining hall. Thankfully he gave them their privacy and ordered his staff to leave the six of them alone. While they ate, slowly the story of Arya's disappearance and Petyr's deceptions came out.

"He thought I would willingly agree to marry a Bolton?" Sansa asked with disgust.

"He probably thought he could talk you into it." Podrick spoke quietly. "I remember Lord Tyrion saying if someone wasn't careful Littlefinger could convince anyone of anything."

"He probably could have, except there are two problems with that. I'm already married and I hate the Boltons, they helped to murder my mother and brothers," reasoned Sansa.

"Perhaps he would have wrapped it up in some sort of revenge scenario," Brienne offered. "You help to take the Boltons down from within."

"I'm sure he had a way to get around your marriage to Lord Tyrion. He wouldn't have gone further with the plans if he didn't have a way around it." Podrick said with a shrug. "I guess now he doesn't have to worry about that though."

"But what would Lord Baelish get out of this arrangement?" Sansa asked.

"Power." Royce said easily. "He's greedy for it, that is something he cannot hide. He started life out with very little of it, and now he's arguably one of the most powerful men in Westeros. He probably saw you as a way to get a foothold into the North."

"And now he's going to use Arya?" Sansa with the briefest hint of amusement in her voice, "there's no way she would agree to this."

For the first time since they sat down, Theon spoke, he had let Royce and Olvyar tell the others about Arya. "She once told me she would kill herself before she let any Bolton touch her." His heart clenched at the thought. Would she really resort to such extreme measures? Would she really leave him behind?

Sansa looked to him, concern evident in her eyes. She felt guilty for being so harsh with him when they had first arrived. She knew that none of this was his fault, but he was punishing himself for it anyway. "She won't do anything rash." Sansa said firmly. "She knows we're still alive. She knows we'll be looking for her. You know she's a fighter, she'll fight to get back to us…to you."

"And if Lord Baelish has convinced her differently?" Theon asked. "We don't know what lies he's been feeding to her to make her more amendable to his plans."

"Then we'll just have to make sure we get to her before she does something stupid." Sansa said as if she knew what she was doing. The truth was, she had no clue as to what to do next. She was terrified that she was about to lose her sister _again, _only this time for good. She looked around at the faces of those with her and tried not to look as lost as she felt. "We are going to go after her right?"

"If I could have, I would have started for Witnerfell yesterday." Theon muttered.

"And you would have gotten yourself killed." Olyvar said. "And me with you."

"You could've stayed behind." Theon glared at Olyvar, "I could have done it on my own."

Olyvar just rolled his eyes, "you know I wouldn't have let you go alone. But that's not the point. We couldn't have done it alone. Even with Brienne and Podrick helping us, it's still a risk to try and rescue her with out a plan."

"You have me too!" Sansa protested. "I know Winterfell just as well as Theon does. We could easily sneak in and get her out before anyone even knew we were there."

"You don't think she'll have several guards on her? I'm sure she'll be considered hostile and they won't risk losing her again." Brienne said. "It doesn't matter how well you know where they are keeping her prisoner. It will be almost impossible to reach her without raising an alarm. And if you went with us, it would be like we were handing you to them on a platter."

"I'm well aware of the obstacles that will be in our way." Theon said in frustration. "But Sansa is right, we know Winterfell, we know the North."

"The Boltons do too," Olyvar managed to remind him.

"Then what exactly are we supposed to do?" Sansa asked of no one in particular.

"The first thing you have to do is actually go North." Lord Royce said simply. "There's a fishing village nearby, once Andar arrives, I'll send him there to see if he can't find you a local fisherman who would be willing to take you to White Harbor. I wish I could offer you more help, but my own situation is precarious. Baelish isn't going to just forget about what happened here. I'm going to have to move to secure allies, should he try to retaliate against me."

"It's okay, we understand," said Olvar.

Royce nodded his head. "Once you're there, I would suggest finding allies of your own. Perhaps some of the Northern lords would be willing to help you rescue Lady Arya, especially those who proved to be more loyal to the Stark name.

"We could go to the Manderlys. We'll be in White Harbor and I know Lord Stark always counted Lord Wyman as loyal." Theon said thoughtfully. "Perhaps he'll offer us aide."

"He probably won't be able to give it to you openly. The Boltons are still backed by the Crown and it would be dangerous to move against them, not unless he was offered some sort of safety against retaliation. Which you cannot offer." Royce said.

"It's okay, we're not looking to raise an army or to even take Winterfell. I only want my sister back." Sansa said.

"Take whatever help you can get, even if its just a hot meal or information about what is going on in the region. Don't trust anyone, even those that _do _ help you. You're going to have to travel quietly. Baelish will be on the look out for at least Sansa, Olyvar, and Theon. Thankfully he doesn't know about the two of you." Royce nodded to Brienne and Podrick. "He'll know you'll follow after Lady Arya and he'll be ready."

"We've gotten good at traveling so people don't notice us," muttered Olvyar. "But we still don't have a plan on how we're going to retrieve Arya."

"We sneak in, we sneak back out." Theon said with a shrug. "It's really not that hard."

Royce let out a small, humorless chuckle. "I doubt it will be that easy, but yes I suppose that will be your plan. You just can't come up with anything specific until you know whats going on at Winterfell."

"Then we leave tomorrow." Brienne said firmly.

"You're going to have to make sure that whatever boat your son finds, will be able to accommodate Nymeria. I won't leave her behind to find her own way North." Sansa said firmly.

"I'll keep that under consideration." Royce said.

After that the conversation seemed to stall as they finished their meal. The silence was tense, all of them wanting to get underway but knowing that if they moved forward too quickly they might make mistakes. Thankfully it wasn't long before their quiet was broken by the arrival of Andar Royce, who had finally found his way to Grey Glen. He had told them that they had been followed, but that he and his managed to take care of the men who were attempting to track Theon and Olyvar's movements. He also thought that there might be others and that it would be a good idea for their small group to leave Grey Glen as soon as possible.

Lord Andar stayed at Grey Glen very briefly, just enough time to have a small meal, before he left to find a fisherman that would be willing to take the group to White Harbor. He had no doubt he would have to pay a handsome fee for them to find passage, especially considering they would also need accommodations for the wolf. He left with the promise of finding them a boat before they arrived at the nearby village the following morning.

After a sleepless night, Lord Royce led them from Grey Glen at an early hour. He knew that Theon was anxious to get underway. It took them only a couple of hours until they reached the village and once they were there it was easy to find the only inn. Lord Andar was already waiting for them in the Inn's common room. He had been true to his word. He had been lucky and found a small trading vessel that had stopped to resupply before going on to White Harbor. The captain was willing to take on passengers. For an extra sum he was even willing to allow Nymeria onboard, as long as she was tame and willing to spend most of her time below deck and away from the crew.

It wasn't long before they were all at the docks. Brienne, Podrick, Sansa and Nymeria having said their goodbyes to the Royce's, had already boarded the boat, while Theon and Olyvar stayed behind for a few moments longer.

"I'm glad you'll be going by sea. Should anyone else be watching you, they'll have a harder time following you when that boat sets sail." Andar said offhandedly as he looked at the old trading vessel. "I doubt she's fast, but she'll do." Then he looked to Theon and Olyvar. "But even if Baelish's spies can't follow after you, they'll make assumptions about where you've gone. Don't let your guard down."

"I doubt we'll ever do that again." Olyvar said.

Theon nodded his agreement. "Thank you, both of you, for what you've done for us. When everything has settled down and we find safety, we'll find a way to pay you back. I promise."

"Don't worry about that." Yohn said with a frown. "Just be careful, and don't make any foolish mistakes. You may feel like you're going home, but the North is not the same place it was when you left it. It's not just the Boltons and their loyal banner men that you have to worry about. I knew that the Wildings were restless, something has them worried enough that they want to invade the North. They've united into a massive army under one ruler. I've had word that they tried to attack the Wall. Stannis Baratheon managed to get his army to the Wall in time to defend it."

"Stannis and his army are at Castle Black?" Theon asked.

"Aye, and he hasn't given up his claim on the throne. I'm sure he'll be marching South, soon enough." Royce answered. "And I'm sure he has Winterfell in his sights for his own purposes, maybe you can somehow use that to your advantage."

"We'll keep that in mind." Olyvar said with a nod of his head.

"Good," Royce said. Then he raised one hand that held a small coin purse and handed it over to Theon.

"But you've given us enough already," was Theon's only response.

"I would have felt guilty if I had sent you off with no coin in your pockets. And this too," in his other hand he held out a small roll of parchment that was sealed with the Royce's sigil. "Present this to Lord Manderly, tell him you went there with a message from me. It explains who you are, and that you wish to remain anonymous to his household."

Theon took the rolled paper, "thank you again, Lord Royce." His voice was full of sincerity and Olyvar voiced his gratitude as well.

"You are welcome, my young lords. I was loyal to Jon Arryn, and he had a great respect for Eddard Stark, _I_ had respect for Lord Stark. Helping his daughters, and those they consider to be their friends, was the least I could do. I only wish I could offer more. Know that you'll always have an ally in the Vale. Should you ever need help again, all you have to do is ask and I shall try to do whatever I can to help."

With that the four of them parted ways.

—

_Arya was on another boat, that much she could tell, however this one was different than the one Petyr Baelish had stowed her on previously. She had her own cabin (or cell would be a better word for what it was), but now she was in what appeared to be in a cramped cargo hold, that offered no comfort at all. The odd thing about it was, that she wasn't alone. That was how she knew she was dreaming, everyone she cared about in the world save for Bran and Rickon were in the room with her._

_Brienne sat on a crate, meticulously cleaning her valyrian steal sword. Olyvar sat near Brienne, attempting to keep a conversation going, it seemed like he was the only talkative person in he cargo hold. Podrick looked miserable lying down on a makeshift bed of some sort. The water voyage didn't seem to be agreeing with him. Sansa was sitting on the floor, her back against the bulkhead. Her eyes were closed and it looked like she was sleeping, or at least she was pretending to. Arya could see the worry written across her face, even without being able to look into her eyes._

_She couldn't see Theon, at least not his face as she was too focused on studying the others. Arya had been lying down curled up on the floor, her head resting on her arms. She knew there was someone sitting by her. She could _sense_ that it was Theon. While she rested, Theon absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair. Her dream self just closed her eyes, basking in his touch. Oh how she wished it she were in that awful, stuffy cargo hold. She would give anything to be back with him…with all of them again._

_Everything felt so real to her. She never knew dreams could be so vivid. In this particular dream it seemed like all her senses were heightened. She could even smell the staleness of the air that surrounded them. She wondered how long these people in her dream had been stuck in that room. If the odor in which the humans gave off were any indication, it seemed like it had probably been there for days. Arya didn't get the sense that they were forced to stay confined to the cargo hold. They didn't have the look of prisoners, she just got the feeling they all chose to stay together. That they didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves, so they only left when they had too._

_Arya's ears perked up when she heard a soft groan come from Podrick, she opened her eyes, concerned, and looked to where her friend lay. "Are we almost there? Gods, I feel like I'm dying."_

_Brienne looked up form her sword, she closed her eyes and it looked as if she was trying to keep her annoyance at bay. "You're not dying Podrick." She said when she reopened her eyes._

_"__That's easy for you to say, you and Theon were both born on islands. You're so used to the water that you don't have to deal with sea sickness. Some of us aren't so lucky." Muttered Podrick weakly._

_Sansa spoke up without opening her eyes when she addressed Podrick. "I wasn't born on an island, and I don't seem to be suffering nearly as bad as you. It's been days, I would have thought you would have started to grown accustomed to the constant rocking of the boat." Her tone held just the right amount of irritation that would naturally come between people who had spent too much time together in too small a place. It seemed this little group was getting sick of each other._

_Arya could hear as Theon let out an exaggerated sigh, and Arya got the feeling that this little spat wasn't an isolated one and Theon was getting impatient with all of them. "Relax Pod, it'll be only a few more days. The Captain said the storm took us a little off course, but we'll be at White Harbor soon. Trust me no one wants to get there faster than me, but we just have to be a little more patient. I know you're miserable, but you'll survive, at least you're able to keep some food down." _

_While Theon was talking he had stopped running his fingers through her hair. She lifted her head to look at Theon, ready to protest, and demand that he resume playing with her hair, but was caught off guard by the lost look that seemed to be playing within his eyes. Her eyes drifted down his other hand and she noticed that Needle was tightly in his grasp. She thought it odd that it was even in his possession. It should be in her care. And suddenly the dream just felt _wrong.

_She opened her mouth, she was going to ask why everything seemed so strange. Her mind formulated the words she wanted to say and she opened her mouth to speak. But the only sound that came out was the very distinct sound of a wolf bark._

It was then that Arya startled herself awake. It took a moment to for her to remember where she was, her dream had seemed so vivid that it still felt like she was on a boat. In reality they hadn't been at sea for days. They had disembarked at White Harbor, and Lord Baelish had secured a carriage, driver, and horses for them almost as soon as they arrived. He had chosen to make for Winterfell with a carriage because he said he didn't trust her not to run off if she had a horse of her own, that it would make it easier for him to keep an eye on her. He also managed to hire a few extra guards for her, just in case she still tried to escape. She didn't know why he bothered, she wouldn't risk Theon or her sister's safety, she would stay put for now.

She had fallen asleep in the carriage while they traveled. Sleeping in such an uncomfortable place must have caused her to have strange dreams. She glanced at the seat across from her and furrowed her brow. It didn't help that Petyr Baelish sat across from her and he seemed to be staring at her intently. She offered him a cold scowl.

He just managed to smile easily back at her, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Bad dreams, my lady?"

It wasn't a bad dream, just strange ones. _Had she really just dreamed she was Nymeria?_ However she wasn't about to confide to Littlefinger about them. "I'm fine," she snapped at him, and then turned her attention so that she could look out of the carriage's window. She was starting to recognize the terrain around her, and she knew that soon she would be at Winterfell.

He studied her for a few moments, he didn't press the issue about her dreams. He didn't really care about them, or anything that was going through the girl's head. He only cared that she played by his rules. "We're almost there, you'll be sleeping in familiar surroundings tonight."

Arya said nothing to him, she just kept her attention on the passing scenery. And over the next few hours as they grew ever closer to their destination, she continued her silence. Until finally, she saw Winterfell in the distance. She felt her heart begin to beat faster. _Home!_ The word flashed through her mind. But the jubilation she felt only lasted a fraction of a second. She had to remind herself that Winterfell was going to be a different place than when she had left it. With different people occupying it and her heart faltered at the thought.

_Maybe those ancient walls of Winterfell would give her some strength. A Stark was coming home, after all._ She tried to calm herself with those thoughts as they approached the front gates. She could hear the gatekeeper call for the gates to be opened. Soon enough they found their way into the familiar courtyard. She closed her eyes and tried to prepare herself for what was about to come. She was about to face two of the men she hated most in this world. They had taken over her home and made it their own. Not to mention she would soon have to marry one of them. She said a quick prayer to her father's Old Gods for strength and then opened her eyes.

The door to the carriage had been opened. Petyr gave her one last self-satisfied grin, which she returned with a glare, and then he climbed out of the vehicle. Once he was outside, he turned to offer a hand to Arya, which she promptly ignored. She slipped out of the carriage easily without any assistance from him. She looked around the courtyard of her childhood home. It didn't _look_ any different, but it _felt_ different. There was a tenseness in the air that she didn't remember being there when the Starks had called this keep their home. She looked around for any familiar face, but the household servants that had gathered to greet the guests were not recognizable. She thought they must have been brought there by the Boltons. It made her feel sick to think about what might have happened to those who had been loyal to the Starks.

"Lord Baelish," Roose Bolton had stepped forward to greet his _guests_, his pale gaze moved to take in Arya. "Lady Arya, it is good to see you again. I had wished to be reacquainted with you much sooner than now. I was pleasantly surprised when Lord Baelish wrote to us suggesting that you would be a better match for my son Ramsay. I bid you welcome."

Arya managed to hold back a shutter. Roose Bolton's gaze was just as unsettling as it had been when she had first met the man before Robb had even left Winterfell. She remembered how she didn't trust him, even back then, it seemed she had good reason not to. She wouldn't bother with false politeness. "Lord Bolton." She said coldly acknowledging his greeting. She refused to say thank him for welcoming her into the only place she had ever called home.

"Allow me to reintroduce you to Ramsay," Roose held out his hand in a gesture that bid his son to come forward. "He was just as pleased to find that you would be the Stark girl who would come to Winterfell. I believe he took an interest in you the first time you two met."

"It is good to see you again, my lady." Ramsay said with a grin. He seemed to know that she didn't want to be there, that she was uncomfortable in a place that should have felt safe to her. He seemed to be enjoying her uneasiness. "It's a shame that Lord Theon couldn't accompany you. I would have liked a chance to talk with him again."

Arya frowned slightly as her gaze shifted to the younger Bolton. He seemed to be taunting her. She had a feeling that any _interest _he might have had for her in the past was to get a reaction out of Theon. And now he was using Theon to try and get one out of her. She narrowed her eyes. "It is good to see you as well, Ramsay _Snow."_ She knew it was petty of her to emphasize his bastard name, especially since she was fully aware that he had been legitimized. She refused to call him by any title, even if that was the _polite_ thing to do. She was satisfied when she saw the small flash of anger that went through his eyes, and she allowed her lips to curve up into a small smile. Then she remembered her situation and the smile fell and she quietly added. "Unfortunately Theon and I were separated not too long ago."

Before Ramsay could respond to her, Lord Baelish spoke up, "Theon Greyjoy is extending his stay in the Vale with some friends of mine." The lie rolled off his tongue so easily the no one suspected it wasn't the truth. He gave a pointed glance at Arya as if to remind her that Theon's fate _might_ hang in the balance should she choose not to behave. Arya offered a scowl in return, but she nodded her head once to let him know that she got the message.

"For future reference, my lady," it seemed Ramsay needed to clarify is position to her, "I've been made a Bolton now, by royal decree. I'm a lord, the proper way to address me would be, my lord or Lord Ramsay."

"Is that so?" She could not hide the disdain from her voice, "forgive me, my lord. I'll be sure to remember that." It appeared Ramsay did not like to be reminded of where he started out from, she would have to remember that. If he wanted to try to get a rise out of her using petty tactics. She could do the same to him.

"Of course, all is forgiven." Roose said quietly, he had watched the whole exchange with great interest. He had a feeling the young Stark girl would be difficult. He could see plainly the hate for him, and for his son, written across her face. He couldn't exactly blame her, it was because of them that she had suffered some great losses. He just didn't particularly care, as long as she was able to provide what he needed, a marital bond between the Boltons and the Starks to keep the Northern lords appeased and a few Bolton heirs. He doubted greatly that Arya Stark would have a happy life with his son. She would soon learn that if she wanted make her life at least a little easier, she would refrain from saying things that would get under her husband's skin. Ramsay would be a cruel husband.

Ramsay allowed himself a small smile, to show that he would be willing to forget about Arya's little indiscretion. Then he offered her his arm, "perhaps we should escort our guests inside father. The afternoon air has taken on a chill, and I'm sure Lady Arya would like to see the changes that have been made to Winterfell in her absence."

Roose nodded his head in agreement and started to lead the way towards the keep's main entrance, Lord Baelish falling easily in step with him. Arya woodenly took Ramsay's arm, trying hard not to let her revulsion show. She stiffly walked with him, her eyes only looking forward. She knew that every bit of what made this place her home would have been stripped away and replaced with things that belonged to the Boltons. Gone would be the dire wolf tapestries, or anything that even indicated that this had been the ancestral home of the ancient House Stark. They had taken away her brothers and her mother and now they were trying to desecrate her sacred childhood memories. These people were more than just monsters.

Ramsay pulled her out of her thoughts with what he disguised as an innocent comment, but she knew was designed to hurt her. "It's a pity your childhood friend won't be here for the wedding, nor your sister. I'm sure it would have pleased you to have familiar faces nearby for such a momentous occasion." For her part Arya refused to lose control and simply held her tongue. Not getting the reaction he wanted, he went on, "but then I suppose the last wedding Theon attended proved to be a bit…unsettling."

This time he did get a reaction. Arya stopped abruptly, forcing Ramsay to stop too. She dropped her hand from his arm and balled her hands into fists, her eyes furiously focused on the man who dared to reference the murder of her brother so glibly. Especially since that murder was directly linked to this man's father. To make matters worse, he seemed amused by her anger and his grin grew wider. In that moment, she wanted to lash out at him, physically, the consequences be damned.

Both Roose and Petyr must have heard the words Ramsay said, because they had both stopped too, and turned to look at what might have turned into an even more uncomfortable confrontation. Roose wore a frown that showed his disapproval of Ramsay's provocations. While Petyr showed a mild concern that Arya might do something that would anger their hosts.

It was Roose who spoke up, in hopes of defusing the situation. "That was unsympathetic, Ramsay, bringing up something that must still be very painful for Lady Arya to think about."

Roose's attempts at kind words did nothing to soothe Arya's nerves. They just only deepened her hate for the man and his _family_. Roose showed no remorse for what he had done to Robb, he hadn't offered any kind of apology for what he had taken away from her. Her stormy grey eyes turned their attention to Roose. She glowered at him for moment. She knew she wouldn't accomplish anything by lashing out at either of the Bolton men, so she forced herself to rein in the temper she wanted to unleash. The rage in her eyes seemed to vanish, and was replaced by a cold, calm. She canted her head to the side, as if to study Roose Bolton. "I heard a story about you once."

This was an odd thing for her to say, and for once Roose seemed to be caught off guard. "Oh? What story was this?"

Arya nodded her head. "I met a man in the Riverlands who claimed to be at the _wedding_, talked very openly about what happened inside the Twins that night. He seemed quite proud that he participated in that massacre. He explained to me how my brother was riddled with arrows, but even that didn't keep the Young Wolf down. No, he told me that it was you who put a knife in my brother's heart. He told me how you and Walder Frey allowed my brother's body to be desecrated. He was full of details." Arya said offhandedly. Then she narrowed her eyes at Roose. "It was a pity, he never told me how the story ended, because I stuck a sword through his throat." It almost seemed like a threat, and that was how she meant it.

Even as Ramsay coughed to hide a chuckle at her audacity, Petyr gave her hard look. "Arya…" his voice full of warning.

Arya turned to look at Baelish and calmly replied to him. "I agreed to this farce of a marriage. I did not agree to be polite, nor to pretend that I like these people. If they find me threatening, so be it. It's not as if I have any freedom here anyway. Am I correct in assuming that Lord Bolton?" She looked back to Roose.

He allowed an amused smile to touch his lips. "I'll admit that we'll probably keep an eye on you around any sharp objects. You'll be allowed to wander the keep. This is to be your home, after all, but I'm sure you'll understand that a few guards will have to be with you at all times."

"You have nothing to fear Lord Bolton." Arya couldn't keep the spite she felt from entering her tone. "Lord Baelish has given me plenty of incentive to be on my best behavior." She paused, she wanted nothing more than to be away from these men that she hated so deeply. It was exhausting just being in their proximity. "Now, if you'll excuse me," then, with more confidence than she felt, she said, "the journey has been long, and I am tired. I'll be taking the room that was formerly mine to begin with. If anyone is occupying it right now, they can retrieve their things later."

She knew it was presumptuous of her to declare that, but she needed to feel that she had control of at least something. She didn't even wait to see if Roose would agree to her demand, she simply started to walk off. No one stopped her, and she would have counted it a small victory if only she hadn't heard Ramsay gleefully proclaim, "oh, Father I'm going to have so much fun with her." Thankfully her back was to the three men, and they couldn't see how she paled at those words. She doubted she would find any enjoyment in anything that Ramsay thought would be fun. She was reminded even more of just how dangerous her position was when two of Bolton's guards moved to follow her inside the keep.

Arya pretended to ignore her two shadows as she once again walked Winterfell's halls. She wouldn't allow her eyes to focus on her surroundings, she did not want to see the changes that had been made. It was already painful to be back home, to be surrounded by the memories of happier times within these walls. She didn't want to have to see that outsiders had been over taking her home. She was grateful when she soon found herself in front of the familiar door that had once been her childhood room.

When she opened the door, she was thankful to see that the room had been vacant. However, while it seemed like nobody had used this room for themselves, everything that had made it hers had been stripped away. All the personal items that she had collected over the years of her life had been removed. She closed the door behind her, shutting the guards out so they couldn't witness her personal turmoil. She rested her back against the solid door, and slide down until she was sitting on the floor. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and she rested here forehead on them.

There were brief thoughts that flitted through her mind as she sat there. Would she be punished in some way for the way she had acted out in the courtyard? If she didn't act like the perfect bride, would Petyr make good on his promise to hurt Theon or anyone else she loved? But how could she stay quiet when the Boltons seemed so set on taunting her? She was surprised Ramsay hadn't mentioned her missing brothers, the ones he had said were dead. But the thought that she seemed to be focusing on the most at the moment was the fact that Winterfell no longer seemed like home. And she realized it wasn't because they had taken down the tapestries or changed the decor, no…it was because they had taken away from her the people that had made it a home.

**Author's Note:**

So, I kind of felt compelled to write Arya having a 'wolf dream' simply because it keeps bothering me that the show doesn't deal with the fact that _all_ the Stark children have the potential to be wargs. I know that's just a book thing, but I always got the idea it was rather important. I don't know if I'll visit that part of Arya again or not.

To Guest: I have seen season five. Let me just say you have nothing to worry about when it comes to that _one_ thing. I have no problems stating that that will not happen. I was livid when it happened to Sansa, and I would not do a character I love as much as I love Arya. (That being said, she's still going to have a difficult time)

To Jean d'arc: Thank you so much. These chapters are taking me a little out of my comfort zone, so it's good to know that they're okay. I think at this point, Arya realizes she cannot outsmart him, and she doesn't really know what she can do to help her situation at this point. She feels pretty powerless.

To ATP: Haha, I have plans for both the Ironborn and Stannis, and the Valeman. They'll be coming into play in a couple of chapters.

To Apolka1029: Thank you! I love when new people find my story. Right now I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of Arya and Theon together. If things in Westeros were different and the Starks had a happier ending, I kind of think the two of them would have been an ideal match once she was older. She would not have put up with his arrogance and might have put him in his place. (Hmm… there might be a story there, I'll have to give this some thought)


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: ** So, I wasn't able to post while on vacation, sorry about that. I was way busier than I thought I would be. But, I had a wonderful time, and I've come home feeling relaxed and more focused. As you can see this chapter's a long one. I hadn't counted on that. Just a few things before you get into it, throughout this whole story, I've been following events that happened both in the books and the show. Fair warning for those of you who haven't read the books…I'll be following the storyline for the Jeyne "Arya"/Ramsay wedding rather than the Sansa/Ramsay, in so much as the Northern lords will start to gather at Wintefell. However I will be following the show in that Davos will not have gone to White Harbor to try and bring Manderly to Stannis's cause.

**Chapter 28**

Theon stood at the bow of the ship, they had just sailed past Old Castle and would soon be entering the inlet that would lead them to White Harbor. Olyvar stood next to him. Concern displayed clearly on both of their faces. Their thoughts only on one thing.

"If we disembark at the harbor, we'll stick out. Anyone who see's Nymeria will suspect that we have close ties with the Starks" Olyvar said. "Even with Sansa's dyed hair, we're in the North, they might take a guess at who she is. Or they might think she's Arya. Either way, it wouldn't be good for us."

"Aye, I know." Theon responded. "White Harbor is big enough, that even if Manderly turns out to be sympathetic to the Starks, there are plenty of other people who might not be. We'll have to ask the Captain if he would be willing to let us use the ship's dinghy to take us ashore before they sail into the harbor."

"We'll have to walk a bit. I'm sure Podrick will love that." Olyvar said with a small smile.

"I'm sure he'll just be happy to be on solid ground." Theon agreed. "Besides, he doesn't have much of a choice. We can't hide Nymeria in the city. She won't like it, but she's going to have roam outside of the city for the time being."

"I have a feeling she'll be just as happy to be off the ship, same as Pod. Understandably she's been a bit restless too." Olyvar cast a glance over to Theon. "Once we leave her in the wild, do you think she'll go after Arya on her own?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did." Theon said, knowing that's exactly what he wanted to do. All this patiently waiting and attempting to gain allies was driving him crazy. Especially when he had spent so much time below decks where he had nothing to think about except for what Arya might be going through. Nymeria seemed just as anxious too, she whined and barked at the strangest things. She probably missed her master as much as Theon did. After a long pause, Theon admitted further, "I don't think she will though. It's strange but I think she knows that we'll get to Arya eventually. She just doesn't like the waiting."

Olyvar clapped Theon on the shoulder. He knew that the other man was talking just as much about himself as he was about the wolf. "Let's hope you're right. I don't want to explain to Arya how we lost her wolf once we've rescued her." What Olyvar didn't say, but Theon understood that he wanted to say it, was that Olyvar didn't want to explain how they managed to lose Theon too.

Theon offered Olyvar a small smile, that never reached his eyes, but his words were sincere. "Don't worry, I know my best chances of getting to her are with the rest of you. Quit worrying about me."

Olyvar shrugged his shoulders, "some one has to be the constant voice of reason in this party. It might as well be me." Then he nodded to where he saw the Captain of the ship walking the deck. "Come, let us go give him our request."

It didn't take them long to secure the use of the dinghy and a couple of sailors, who weren't uncomfortable around Nymeria, even volunteered to row them ashore. Several hours later as they neared the ship's final destination, they found themselves all crowded into the small boat making for a bit of coast that was a few miles away from White Harbor. Theon thought that once they reached shore, if they were able to walk at a fair pace they might reach the city before nightfall. The thought of sleeping outside again didn't appeal to him, the weather was noticeably colder now that they arrived in the North.

The trip was a quiet one, and once the sailors dropped their passengers off they quickly turned around to go back to the main boat. Theon noted that the rest of his companions, all seemed to be happy to be off the water, out of their cramped quarters, and one step closer to their goal. As they started to walk the coast, Nymeria trotted ahead, happy to be in the fresh air and happy to be able to stretch her legs. Podrick seemed to be the only one who didn't seem to have a renewed vigor, but only because of the prolonged bout of seasickness. Even still he looked a lot better and the color was beginning to come back to his face.

"Are you happy to be back home, in the North, my lady?" Olyvar asked Sansa as they made their way to White Harbor.

"I'm not sure where my home is." Sansa said quietly. "I'd be happier if I was reunited with the family I knew I had left."

Olyvar sighed, realizing that any kind of small talk with the somber group would be impossible and simply gave up trying on conversation. It seemed he was the only one confident in the fact that they would actually succeed in their quest to save Arya. He supposed that Sansa had lived through so much already that she would have a hard time believing that anything good would happen to her. Theon probably thought that any luck they might have had, had been used up. And it wasn't as if Brienne and Podrick were overwhelmed with feelings of optimism. Gods he hoped this Lord Manderly would be able to offer them some kind of help. Olyvar thought they needed something good to happen to them for once. He walked on, with the rest of the group, in silence, left only with these thoughts.

They were about a mile away from White Harbor, it was near dark, when they had to bid farewell to Nymeria. She whimpered and whined as Theon leaned down to her level her to say his goodbyes. He knew that the wolf didn't like that they had to part ways, but he explained to her why they needed to leave her.

"Look girl, we don't want to give anyone any reason to suspect who we are. You're noticeable and people will be afraid," Theon whispered to her as he scratched around her ears. He knew that it must have looked foolish, him talking to her as if she could understand every word he said. But he knew better, he knew that those wolves the Stark children had were exceptionally smart animals. He didn't doubt that she understood everything he said. "I understand if you want to run off ahead of us. I'm worried about her too, and if you think you can get to her and protect her faster than us, then I wish you luck. But I kind of hope you wait here for us. We won't be in the city long. I promise." He waited while she whined once and then nuzzled her nose to his cheek in a farewell. Theon straightened up. "Goodbye Nymeria, we'll see you soon." He knew it to be the truth even if she decided to leave them behind. He patted her head gently and then backed away so Sansa could say her goodbyes.

Sansa for her part didn't give a long speech. She just scratched the wolf behind her ears and whispered a short goodbye. The others followed suit and then the five humans turned away and started toward the bustling port city, while the wolf went in the opposite direction. Theon looked back and slowed his steps to watch as Nymeria trotted away. She didn't seem to be heading any further North. Instead she seemed to be going East. She stopped walking to look back at him. To Theon it almost seemed like she nodded her head slightly, as if to tell him not to worry, that she had no plans of leaving without him. That she would wait for him patiently outside the city. Oddly enough Theon nodded his head back to her, like he wanted her to know that he understood her meaning. Nymeria seemed pleased that she had gotten her message across, turned East once again and bounded off to hunt for her next meal.

It didn't take their little group long to reach the city, but it was dark by the time they reached New Castle. Theon stepped up to the gatehouse himself, leaving the rest of them to watch as he conversed with the guard at the gate. It didn't take him long to explain to the gatekeepers that he had been sent there with an urgent message for Lord Manderly from Lord Royce. The gatekeepers at first looked a little skeptical and looked pointedly at the company Theon traveled with.

Theon looked to his companions, he supposed it did look a little suspicious. His mind moved quickly to come up with a story. "Lord Royce hired a few sellswords for my protection." Brienne's armor and weaponry would lend to the story of her being a simple sellsword. She probably even looked the part more than Olyvar and Podrick and although it was rare, it wasn't completely unheard of that a woman would take on the mask of a hired guard. "And that's my sister, she got it into her head that she wanted to see White Harbor. Lord Royce agreed with my request to take her along and even hired the tall one, thinking it might make my sister more comfortable to have another woman along for the trip." For a moment the guards didn't say anything, and Theon wondered if the story was too farfetched, so he added. "Lord Royce did say this message was very important. Otherwise he would have simply sent a raven."

"Alright." One of the guards said. "I don't suppose the five of you could do much harm even if you are lying. And if you are lying, don't think that Lord Manderly would let that pass. You'd be in an awful lot of trouble." With that said he looked to the other guard and nodded his head. "Why don't you escort them to the main hall and inform the steward that they're here."

Theon let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He motioned for the others to follow him and the unlucky guard who got the duty of showing them inside. The guard left them in the entrance hall and while they waited for the steward to make his appearance the household servants seemed to ignore them entirely. At first, Theon thought that they were being snubbed, but when he took a closer look it seemed as if the servants were preoccupied. He saw several harried men carrying trunks and crates from one location to another. He overheard several conversations where people seemed to be ticking off tasks that needed to be done and items that needed to be packed. It seemed Lord Manderly was getting ready for trip.

It must have been twenty minutes before the steward came to welcome them. The man looked tired and it was obvious that the stress of whatever it was that was going on around them, was getting to the elderly man. The look he gave Theon and his group conveyed the annoyance he felt at having been interrupted by a mere messenger. With a sigh he held out his hand, "come on them. Let's have this message that is so important from Lord Royce. Did he ask you to wait for a reply, or is this a simple delivery?"

Theon looked at the man's outstretched hand, and then looked back up at the steward with a frown. He had pulled out the roll of parchment that Yohn Royce had given them for the Lord of New Castle. "I'm sorry but my lord commanded me to give it to Lord Manderly himself. I'm to wait for a reply from him directly."

The steward let out another annoyed sigh. Then he looked towards the exit of the hall that led further into the castle as if he was weighing his options, "I don't think Lord Royce realizes that this is an inopportune time. Lord Manderly does not have time for such nonsense." It did't seem as if he was talking to Theon when he said this, only to himself. Finally he seemed to come to a decision. "Very well, please follow me."

The steward started to move toward the door that Theon figured would lead them to Manderly eventually. Theon moved to follow and so did the others. That gave the steward pause. "I don't think Lord Royce meant for your entire party to be present when you delivered this message."

Theon frowned, he hadn't thought of that when he offered his story. Of course the sellswords would not be included in the wait for Manderly's reply. "Just my sister then." He said nodding to Sansa. "If it wouldn't be much trouble, could my guards wait just outside the door. It's not that I don't trust the Manderly's, it's just that I would like to be underway as soon as possible after I receive the lord's reply. I'd feel more comfortable if I knew they were close by and I would't have to go looking for them when I'm done with my business here."

The steward eyed Sansa, he saw no threat there, and then looked to the other three, his eyes lingered on their weapons. There were already guards standing just outside Manderly's study. He doubted these thugs-for-hire would be able to do any damage before the castle trained guards could take care of them. Finally he looked back to Theon. "Fine, I guess that would be acceptable. But I'll have to ask you to remove your weapons before I take you to see Lord Manderly. I'm sure one of your," the steward was about to say men, but then eyed Brienne and amended it to, "people, would be willing to hold on to them for you."

The request did not sit well with Theon, but he could understand the caution. Reluctantly he took off the sword belt that he used to hold Arya's Needle and handed it without thinking to Olyvar. He took his bow and quiver of arrows off his back and handed it to Podrick. Then gave a steward a look that simply said he had now complied to the rules and he was eager to finish what he had been sent there to do. The steward nodded in satisfaction and then led them out of the door into a hall way. They walked a short distance before they reached another door, two guards stood on either side. They eyed the new comers carefully then looked to the steward, who explained the situation to them.

Once everything seemed to be settled the steward looked to Theon, "wait here a moment while see if Lord Manderly is prepared to meet visitors." Without waiting for a response he turned to the door and knocked. The man waited a moment and when he was bid to enter, he slipped through the door.

They waited in an uneasy silence with the guards, no one thought it was an appropriate time for small talk. Theon just wanted to get this over, he would take whatever help Lord Manderly was willing to give, but he didn't want to stay at New Castle any longer than he had to. Thankfully they didn't have to wait too long outside that door. It couldn't have been more than ten minutes when the steward returned and waved his hand to indicate that Theon and Sansa should enter.

When the two of them followed the steward inside the room, they were greeted with the sight of an aging man with a large, round belly sitting on an oversized chair near the fire place. Theon assumed that this was the Lord Wyman Manderly. He had heard rumors of the man's physical appearance, that he was grossly overweight, but he had thought it was all a bit exaggerated. Clearly he had been wrong, it seemed all the rumors were true.

The fat man looked at his two guests shrewdly. After a moment he said, "my steward tells me you have a message from Lord Royce."

"Yes, my Lord." Theon said quietly. This time when the steward held out his hand, Theon readily gave him the rolled parchment that bore Royce's seal. "He said it was for your eyes only." He added on.

The steward took the scroll, then walked over to Wyman and handed it to him without so much as breaking the seal. Manderly studied the wax seal and once he seemed convinced that it really was from Lord Royce he opened it and read the contents silently. His outward expression showed no emotion as he read the words and when he was done he looked back up at Theon and Sansa.

Theon thought he saw a flicker of satisfaction flash through Manderly's eyes and he wondered what that might have meant. Was the man happy they were here? Did that mean he planned on handing them over to the Bolton's or the Crown? Had they made a mistake in trusting this Northern Lord? Theon's eyes slid to the door, his mind reeling, trying to come up with an escape plan that would get them outside the room. At least if they were with the others and he had his weapons back they could have a chance of getting out of whatever predicament they found themselves in, alive.

Manderly must have sensed his unease, and let out a soft chuckle. "Relax boy." Then he looked to the steward. "You may leave, and on your way out send in the other three that came with them. Then go tell the kitchens to prepare a small meal for them. I'm sure they'll want to eat after we've talked."

The steward looked taken aback. "Are you sure that's wise my Lord. I mean bringing in the others, they're heavily armed."

"I doubt they mean us any harm, but if it would make you feel better, by all means, take their weapons. But they will be returned to them when they leave this room." Manderly said.

"Yes, my Lord." The steward said, clearly unhappy with what his lord had commanded.

Once the steward left the room, Manderly looked back to his guests. "You'll have to forgive him. We've been a bit on edge these past few weeks. We've had some guests here that were not nearly as welcome as you are," he looked pointedly at Sansa. "Thankfully they left yesterday, otherwise you being here would be…_awkward._ But we can go into that later. You really are Sansa Stark?"

"Yes, my lord." Sansa carefully.

"I thought your hair was red, like your mother's," Wyman commented.

"I've dyed it. It's safer to travel that way. My hair's normal color would give my identity away to almost anyone who was looking for me and there are a lot of people looking for me." Sansa countered easily. "If you'd like to inspect it further…" she moved to take a step forward.

But Manderly shook his head and lifted his heavy arm up to stop her. "That won't be necessary. I find myself believing you and Lord Royce. The story he wrote in this letter is plausible, you'll have to forgive me for being a little skeptical. It is not a pleasant time for those who have showed strong loyalty to the Starks in the past. I have to be careful this isn't some sort of trap set up by the Boltons. And the Crown isn't exactly pleased with those of us who who backed your brother either."

"We can prove who we are." Theon spoke up. "All the Stark children were known to have dire wolves. There is one waiting for us, just east of White Harbor. We didn't bring her into the city because we thought she would be too conspicuous."

"I suppose that would be proof enough." Manderly said thoughtfully. "And eventually I should like to see this animal." Theon could tell he was about to say more, but they were interrupted when the door opened and the rest of their little group entered. So instead, he just said, "but that can wait. I'm not sure I'd like a dire wolf paraded around my city, the wrong people might hear about it."

When Wyman was done talking, introductions were given and then the fat lord proceeded to question each of them for the next half hour or so. It was subtle but he was slowly getting the information he needed in order to make the decision on whether he could trust these people before him. By the end of the small interrogation, he was confident that these people were who Lord Royce claimed them to be.

Once he was sure of his guests, Manderly looked at Olyvar and said, "make no mistake, I have no love for the Freys, my youngest son died at the Twins. I do not like having to extend my hospitality to anyone who bears that name. But perhaps not all of the Freys deserve my contempt. Your continued loyalty to Robb Stark and what is left of his family is admirable." He then looked at each of the others, "I offer all of you what protection I can give you. What's more is, I believe I can help you get to Arya Stark. Your assumptions about Petyr Baelish taking Lady Arya to Winterfell to marry Bolton's bastard boy are true."

When Theon heard these words, he was torn between feeling relief at knowing for certain where Arya was, anger at knowing what the Bolton's wanted from her, and fear at what they might do to her to get it. He tried to keep his facial expressions neutral and his voice even, but those that knew him realized it was only a mask. "How do you know?"

"Because, Lord Theon, I've been_ invited_ to the wedding." Wyman said with a shrug. "Or more like ordered to go to prove my loyalty to the Crown by my willingness to accept both the union of houses Stark and Bolton through marriage and Roose Bolton as Warden of the North."

"Who ordered you?" Olyvar asked. "The King?"

"I doubt it was King Tommen. I'm sure it was Cersei's order. She wants to make sure the throne's grip on the North is strong. She needs all the Northern Lords to fall in line and in my case she was holding my oldest son hostage to ensure my cooperation." Manderly looked to Olyvar. "She sent several of your brothers or cousins or nephews, I'm not sure which, there's so many of you Freys it's hard to keep track. Anyway she sent some of your relatives here to bargain for my son's release. It's a lucky thing you arrived when you did. Had you come just a day earlier your paths would have crossed and I doubt we would be having this conversation now. You would be well on your way to King's Landing I suspect."

Through all of Lord Manderly's speech Theon realized that the man had never said if he was indeed accepting Bolton's rule in the North and by default the Crown. He was not the only one to notice that omission, Brienne shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "You never said if you were in fact loyal to the Crown."

"Oh, that would be a problem for the lot of you if I was, now wouldn't?" Manderly chuckled. "But not to worry. The Frey men may have left here under the assumption that I was in fact afraid of both the Lannisters and Boltons and what they would do to me or my son should I prove to be difficult. But I assure you it was all an act. I needed to get my son back. I had to agree to marry one of the Frey girls and to marry my grand daughters off to two of his sons, not to mention renounce my claim on some contested Northern lands. They also asked that a couple of my nephews be brought to the wedding and then left with Lord Bolton as hostages. I agreed easily to every one of their demands, and I got my son and heir back. He arrived home a few days ago to a rather large feast, and he will remain here when I leave for Winterfell in a couple of days."

"They agreed to give you back your son for so little?" Theon asked curiously. "Just because you agreed to a few marriages and you giving them a couple of minor hostages?"

"That's not all I promised." Wyman answered. "I also had to pledge my men to defend the North. It seems Stannis Baratheon has found his way to the Wall. He's going to march South soon and that's making Bolton nervous. He needs the Northern lords to help him defend what he has stolen from the Starks. I'm sure he's asked the Lannisters to send their armies North, and I'm sure they're reluctant to send them considering Winter is nearly hear. The Queen probably thinks she's appeasing Bolton by helping him to rally the Northern lords to his cause."

"Does the Queen trust Lord Bolton?" Sansa asked. "It seems to me he was about to commit treason when he agreed to Lord Baelish's suggestion that he marry his son to me. Why would he risk the wrath of the Throne on with such a seemingly reckless plan."

"I doubt the Queen knew of that arrangement." Olyvar answered. "And now she doesn't have to since Littlefinger got his hands on Arya. Bolton was thinking of the more immediate threat of Stannis's army. The Northern houses have enough men to help him and he thinks that by having the Starks and Bolton's united they would be more agreeable to his demands. I'm sure he would have tried to explain himself to the King and Cersei after the Stannis threat had been dealt with."

Sansa nodded her head to show that she understood.

"But how does any of this mean you can help us get to Arya?" Theon asked of Lord Manderly, obviously frustrated that the conversation had to turned to politics when the only thing that really concerned him was how they were going to rescue Arya. "You said you were going to Winterfell, it's not as if we can go with you. Roose, Ramsay, and Littlefinger would recognize me on sight. Baelish would also recognize Olyvar and Sansa as well."

"I never said you should go to Winterfell." Manderly answered.

Theon frowned. "Then what exactly did you have in mind?"

"While I've been putting on a good show of being craven for the Frey's, I've been secretly in contact with other Northern Lords who I know are still loyal to the Starks. The Umbers are among the families that are, shall we say, unhappy with the Boltons and their part in what happened to Robb Stark. They tell me that they've been hiding the Littlest Wolf at Last Hearth." Manderly said. "It seems the Boltons have lied to all of Westeros when they told the story of your brothers being dead, Lady Sansa."

"Rickon is still alive then?" Sansa asked quietly, realizing that Arya had been right all along. Sansa had been so certain that her little brothers were dead. "What of Bran?"

"I advised them both to go to the Umbers for protection." Theon put in. "Bran should be there too."

Manderly frowned. "There was no sign of Lord Brandon when the little one showed up at Last Hearth. The two women he was with were tight lipped about where he had gone. They simply informed him that they parted ways thinking it would be safer to travel in smaller groups. They had said Bran went with the two Reed children. We thought maybe they would go to the Reeds for help, Greywater Watch would be a safe place for him. But Howland Reed hasn't given anyone any indication as to whether he was there or not."

"Rickon was with two women?" Theon asked cautiously.

"Yes, he was with a wilding woman and I believe the other woman claimed to be your sister." Manderly said.

Theon felt a brief moment of satisfaction, he may not have much love for his family, but it pleased him to know that his sister managed to escape the Boltons. He nodded his head once then prompted, "again, I ask, how does this information help us?"

"You need to go to Last Hearth and confirm that the Umbers do have Rickon." Manderly said. He saw that Theon was about to protest, that he didn't understand how that would bring them any closer to Arya. The Greyjoy boy seemed eager to find the girl. "You need to know if it's him, because if it is Rickon Stark, he has a stronger claim to Winterfell than either of the two Stark girls. By rights he is Lord of Winterfell until Bran is found. That might be enough to unite the Northern lords. But even if we were able to oust the Boltons, we still have to deal with the Lannisters."

Olyvar seemed to know where Manderly's thoughts were going. "After we confirm that Rickon is alive, you want us to go to the Wall, to see Stannis. You think that if we prove there is a Lord Stark that Stannis would restore Winterfell the rightful heir."

"I believe he would. He has to take Winterfell and face the Bolton army if he still wants the Iron Throne. It would be advantageous for him to do so with the prospect of putting the Starks back in power once he ousted the Boltons. He would gain the support of several Northern allies, all willing to back him as King if he were to put a Stark back in Winterfell. Once he marched further South, the Crown will be too busy to worry about Stannis, to pay much attention to the North. With any luck, Stannis will take the throne." Manderly said.

"You would back Stannis's claim to the Throne?" Brienne asked incredulously.

"His claim is stronger than the bastard boy who sits on the seat now, is it not?" Manderly asked.

"He's a kinslayer, he killed his brother!" Brienne stated. "I made an oath to avenge Renley Baratheon's death."

"You also made an oath to protect Lady Catelyn's family." Sansa said quietly. "Lord Renly is dead, Brienne, some of my mother's children are still alive."

"And Stannis might be the best way of protecting them." Theon added quietly.

"There's time enough for vengeance later, my lady." Podrick said. "Shouldn't we focus on Arya right now?

Brienne sat there silently, a war raging in her mind. Even after all this time Renly Baratheon's death still haunted her. She had failed the man in protecting his life, and now it felt like she would be betraying Renly further if she agreed to ally herself to the man who had killed him. She had failed in protecting Lady Catelyn. She had managed to find the woman's daughters, only to promptly lose one. Now that she knew where the girl was, she would have to ask Renly's murderer for help. Seven hells, with his help the Starks could be restored to Winterfell. Something Brienne knew Catelyn would want more than anything. Brienne thought she was going to be sick.

"You wouldn't have to fight for him Brienne." Olyvar said. "You would just have to turn your attention the other way while he fights for Winterfell. We just need him to support Rickon's claims to Winterfell."

Brienne seemed to consider the words. "This plan of going to Last Hearth, then to the Wall to ask for Stannis's help, will take too long. Arya will still be alone amongst her enemies. She'll still be forced into a marriage she doesn't want."

"She won't be alone. Soon Winterfell will be hosting several Northern lords for the wedding. These are men who I know are still loyal to the Starks. The Boltons will have to be careful with how the treat her. Those lords won't like it if something bad happens to Eddard Stark's little girl. Roose Bolton will know that much. She'll be relatively safe." Manderly reassured, but he could tell he hadn't convinced neither Brienne or Theon. "And when I arrive, I'll find a way to let her know that help is on the way. That she just has to sit tight a little longer."

"She won't trust anyone." Theon said. "She won't believe that you are there to help her."

"But she will trust me." Brienne said. "Baelish is the only person who would recognize me, but he wouldn't know of my ties to Arya. My hatred for Stannis Baratheon isn't a secret. He might think I have pledged my sword to Manderly in the hopes that I might get a chance to fight with the Boltons and kill Stannis. I could go with Lord Manderly to Winterfell Perhaps I could even find a way to smuggle her out of there before things become too unpleasant for her."

"I could go too," Podrick piped up. "Baelish knows who I am, but if I kept myself out of the way he might not notice me. Even if he did, he wouldn't know I was there for Arya either."

"It would keep me away from Stannis." Brienne said.

"The idea has merit," Manderly said after giving her suggestion some thought. "I could use the extra help at Winterfell. I'd like to work on the Boltons from within. I want Winterfell to be ripe for the taking when Stannis marches his army from the Wall. Do you think Lady Arya would be willing to help us do that?"

Theon laughed bitterly, "yes, I think she would be more than willing to help you." Then with extreme reluctance he said. "Brienne and Pod should go with you. If she sees them, she'll know she can trust you." It seemed a cruel twist of fate to him, that he wouldn't be able to go to Winterfell. That it would be Brienne and Podrick who would go to Arya's aide first. That by the time he even saw the keep again, she would already be safe and it would be no thanks to him. He set a hard gaze upon Manderly. "But if she sees an opportunity to get Arya out safely, she can do so. They can leave, even if it upsets any of your plans."

"Agreed." Brienne put in.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Manderly answered. "If Arya somehow disappeared from Winterfell, that would disrupt Roose Bolton's plans more than anything. He's putting a lot of hope in this marriage. Perhaps while we make our way up the White Knife, we can discuss plans on how to get Arya out of Winterfell, sooner rather than later." He lifted his shoulders in a heavy shrug. "It's worth thinking about at least. And that might put your mind a little more at ease." He said this to Theon. "I take it the girl means something to you, and I can understand your fear for her at the hands of the Boltons."

Theon just nodded his head.

Olyvar was the next to speak up, "when do we leave?"

"The day after tomorrow." Manderly said simply. "The White Knife has not yet frozen over, so we'll still be able to travel by boat. I figure once we reach the tributary that leads towards Winterfell we'll part ways. You'll continue on the White Knife until you reach a tributary that leads to Long Lake. Once you reach the farther shore you'll be able to make for the Last Hearth without much trouble. I will send along a few men-at-arms for some extra protection. They can help guide you, and they can deliver a few messages I have for Lord Umber."

"You'll also give us written proof that you'll be willing to back Stannis's claim to the Throne if he promises to restore Rickon Stark as Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North?" Olyvar asked. "I'm sure he'll want assurances if he agrees to help us."

"I can give you that, as well as the promises of at least three other Northern houses." Manderly said. "Others will join once they realize just how fragile Bolton's hold on the North is. Sure there are some houses who truly are loyal to Roose, but most of the Houses despise him and only accept his rule because they have no choice. It is practically suicide to speak out against them or to not give into his demands. There are even rumors that, that bastard boy of his, has taken to flaying again. And the small folk fear what the Boltans can do."

"I'm surprised the Northern Lords haven't risen up against the Boltons already." Sansa commented.

"We have to be careful, my lady. Most houses suffered great losses during the war. While united we would have a fighting force that could rival the Boltons, but no house can stand alone against them right now." Manderly offered. "We are also being watched carefully, if we make any moves that look like we might be trying to join forces to incite a rebellion, Lord Bolton would be quick to squash it before any fighting force would grow large enough to succeed. We have to work in the shadows. It takes longer and it's more subtle. But it's safer and right now, the plans we are making are the best chance we have at breaking the Bolton rule in the North."

"I guess we don't have any choice but to help," Theon said glumly. It still felt like he wasn't doing enough, that he wasn't working fast enough.

"By helping us, you're helping her." Manderly told him not unkindly. "Don't forget, that girl is a Stark. Even if the North is not your home, it _is _ hers. You can help to save her home and her at the same time."

—

Arya had dreamed that she was seeing the world through Nymeria's eyes again, the night before. This time the wolf had been traveling along the banks of a river. There were boats on the river, Arya could sense that one of them was more important than the others. Instinctively, Arya had known that Theon was on that boat, and by default she had figured that Sansa, Podrick, Brienne, and Olyvar were also on that boat. She didn't know how she knew they were there, she just did and she knew that they were safe, at least for the time being. There was a longing to see all of them again, and she wondered why Nymeria wasn't on that boat with them. She supposed it didn't matter, the boat was going slow and it wasn't hard for the wolf to keep up. It wasn't an exciting dream, and all Arya did was follow the boat for a little bit before she woke up. It was, however, a satisfying dream.

In the days since her return to Winterfell, these dreams had come to her often. At first she had thought it was just her brain trying to put her at ease, by showing her the people she cared about most, fairly safe and sound. She had had a couple more dreams where Nymeria was with those people on the boat again. Then the settings changed. In her dreams Nymeria would be alone, on the outskirts of a city, watching it intently, seemingly to be waiting for something. Arya had recognized the city as White Harbor, she remembered watching it from the window of Baelish's coach as they road away from it.

There had been other times when she had locked herself in her room, just so she wouldn't have to deal with Baelish or the Boltons. But she had nothing to occupy her time and she would feel herself begin to drift off. When this happened she would sometimes catch glimpses of Theon, Sansa or any of the others through the wolf's eyes. One time, not too long ago, she had even managed to catch a glimpse of an obese man who sat upon a litter. Someone she had never met, nor seen before. This was when she started to suspect that these dreams were something more than dreams.

She had remembered the stories Old Nan, a servant woman that used to tend to the Stark children, told of men who could cast their consciousness at will into animals. That they could see through the eyes of that animal and even control it. Arya doubted she could control Nymeria, or even enter the wolf's mind at will, but she couldn't help but think that when she slept her mind could unconsciously enter into Nymeria's. Old Nan had called people with these rare abilities wargs and the stories she told of them were often meant to scare the Stark children. But Arya wasn't scared.

For one, she couldn't be absolutely certain that this was what she was experiencing, it could just be her mind using the dreams to cope with the situation she had been thrust into when she arrived at Winterfell. Even if they weren't dreams, and she truly was a _warg_, she couldn't bring herself to care. It made her feel less lonely, and through Nymeria's eyes she knew that Podrick, Brienne and Olyver were okay. That Sansa was okay. _That Theon was okay._ And if they were okay, then Petyr Baelish couldn't use them to make her behave.

As the dreams continued, she became more and more certain that she had been seeing things through Nymeria's eyes. She allowed herself to become bolder in the words she spoke and the actions she took when it came to Baelish and the Boltons. Nothing too drastic, but she would go out of her way to utter a few snarky comments here or there without being provoked. Several times she attempted to half-heartedly shake off the guards that followed her around constantly. It never worked, but it seemed to annoy both Lord Botlon and Lord Baelish. For now that was enough, eventually she would work her confidence up to an actual escape attempt.

An attempt that might come sooner, rather than later. Over the past few days, various Northern lords and their retainers had started trickling into Winterfell. It seemed that they had all been invited for the wedding of Lady Arya and Lord Ramsay. Things were starting to get busy around the Keep, and maybe, just maybe all the new people cluttering the castle would give her the chance to slip away from her guards.

It was on the morning after her latest _wolf_ dream that her confidence seemed to spike enough for her to try something. In the dream she had noticed the boat that her friends were on, was headed North. She couldn't help but wonder if help would soon be coming and she didn't want to be the helpless maiden waiting for rescue. No, she wanted to meet her rescuers at least half way.

When she sat down to break her fast she was pleased to notice the extra people who seemed to be joining them that morning. Not only was Roose, Fat Walda, Ramsay, and Petyr Baelish there, but also Galbart Glover and a few minor lords that had arrived just the day before were sitting at the table. The more people that were there would mean there would be less attention on her. However, when the meal started, she became slightly uncomfortable when she noticed that Lord Glover looked over at her several times. She thought she detected some concern in his eyes but he said nothing to her, nor did he ask her any questions. Eventually, he seemed to lose interest and kept his focus on Lord Bolton and the conversation they seemed to be having.

Near the end of the meal, Arya causally glanced to those in attendance, and realized that no one was looking at her. Even her guards seemed more relaxed. They had probably thought that since she was in Lord Bolton's company that she would not try anything. For the most part, they were right, she would do nothing blatant. But while everyones eyes were elsewhere, she snatched up a small cheese knife that a servant had carelessly left near her plate. She tucked it carefully inside the long sleeve of her dress. She didn't know what she would use it for, but she felt a little stronger knowing that she had a weapon of some sort within her reach. Even if it was a tiny blade.

Once everyone was done eating, Arya calmly asked if she could be excused. She wanted desperately to retreat to her room so that she could hide her prize away. Roose Bolton nodded his permission, and when she stood up, her guards quickly readied themselves to walk her out of the dinning hall.

She had made it halfway to the door before Roose rose from his chair and in a quiet voice, that still carried to her ears, said, "Lady Arya, a moment if you please."

Her heart started to beat a little faster, but she put on her most innocent expression and looked back to him, "yes my lord?"

Roose walked over to her, a small, amused smile played upon his lips. The others who were still at the table looked at the confrontation curiously. He held his hand out to her, "I believe you have something that should probably remain at the table. You wouldn't want any of the servants to get into trouble for any missing utensils."

She regarded him shrewdly, and realized lying to him would be useless. He knew what she had up her sleeve. Then slowly she moved to pull the pathetic little weapon out of where she had hidden it. When she handed the knife to him, handle first, she offered him a cold smile. "You realize, I had to try."

"Of course," Roose said and then simply turned his back to her. He walked back to his seat and calmly sat down.

Arya watched as he did and when he was back in his seat, her eyes drifted to Petyr. The expression she saw there gave her pause. The loss of the cheese knife was almost worth seeing the panicked look in his eyes. Stealing that knife had been her boldest move yet.

Lord Baelish had realized that she was beginning to suspect that he didn't have Theon or Sansa within his grasp and that he could no longer hold them over her head. There was confusion in his mind too, he must have been wondering how she had figured that out. He had not told Roose or Ramsay Bolton the truth about Theon Greyjoy or his companions, that he didn't know where they were. He let them believe that he really was holding the boy hostage in the Vale. So he knew they couldn't have let her in on the secret. His eyes darted to the other lords at the table. Was it possible that they knew? That they had let her know the truth of the matter?

Arya couldn't help but smile a little at seeing Baelish squirm. She had noticed the panic, confusion, and suspicion in his eyes. It was a rare sight to see him so unsettled. But it only lasted for a fraction of a second. Petyr quickly got his expression under control and brought a hard glare in her direction. He was not a happy man. Arya quickly wiped the smile from her face, forcing herself not to revel in is misstep. She realized that acting too daring might be a mistake. She broke eye contact with him, pretending to be unsettled and then fled the hall. Her guards following behind her quickly.

—

On the afternoon of the same day, Arya found herself restless. She did not want to lock herself in her room, and so far, Roose Bolton had not limited her access of the castle, despite her more recent attempts at upsetting him. He was even _gracious_ enough to allow her to go to into the godswood to pray, so long as she went directly to the heart tree and that her guards accompanied her at all times. Despite the chill in the air, whenever she felt the walls of this strange, new, Bolton infested Winterfell close in on her, she fled to the godswood. She did not go there to pray, she doubted the gods would listen to her requests. They hadn't been very kind to her so far.

No, she went there to escape and when she was near that heart tree with its wizened face, she some how felt closer to her family. Sometimes, when she would close her eyes and listened to the wind blow through the tree's leaves she thought she could hear someone whisper _Arya. _She liked to pretend that it was the voice of her father, mother, or Robb and they were calling out a quiet greeting to her.

That was where she was headed that afternoon. At the midday meal she had heard the upsetting news that Walder Frey had sent several of his sons and a fair amount of men-at-arms North to Winterfell. They had told her it was because he wanted a Frey presence at the upcoming wedding. The Freys and the Boltons were friends now, and since the trip North would not be pleasant for old Walder Frey, he sent his sons in his place. But Arya was not as stupid as they seemed to think she was. She knew that Roose was worried about Stannis, who at any time now might start marching South from the Wall. Arya thought that maybe Roose had asked his _friend_ Walder to send men to help him fend off the Baratheon army. She had a feeling that was the true reason for all those Northern lords arriving too, bringing what men-at-arms they could spare. While it was satisfying to know that Roose was worried about Stannis, it also meant that there would be Freys in Winterfell. Arya hated the fact that more enemies would be invading her home.

Thankfully, the godswood offered her some solace, even with the guards that were shadowing her. She had learned to ignore their presence. She had been standing before the tree, studying its face for a good fifteen minutes when her quiet was disturbed by the low, unfriendly growl of a dog. She snapped her head to the direction it had come from and saw one of Ramsay's hunting dogs crouched down low, not to far from where she stood. The dogs teeth were bared and at first Arya had an uneasy feeling that she was the object of the dog's unease, but then realized the hound was growling at the tree. It seemed her guards were also a little worried for Arya's safety and their hands were on the hilts of their swords, should the dog make a move to attack the girl. It appeared they hadn't only been ordered to make sure Arya obeyed any order Roose Bolton gave her, but to also protect her should the need arise.

It seemed the guards hadn't yet realized that Arya was not what had the dog's attention, and they nervously stepped forward, ready to defend her. However, it was then that Ramsay stepped out of the trees, wearing what he considered to be a pleasant smile. "Not to worry boys," he said to the guards. "The weir tree just makes Kyra nervous." He stepped to his hound and instantly the dog seemed to calm.

It was a curious thing, Arya had noted that all of Ramsay's dogs had names that normally belonged to human women. She had figured there must have been a reason for it, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, so she never dared ask. In fact everything about the hounds put her on edge, they were viciously mean creatures and she eyed the one that was with Ramsay cautiously. Finally she looked up to Ramsay, who seemed pleased by her discomfort. She found her voice and filled it with as much disdain as she could muster. "And what are you doing here?"

Ramsay let the cold tone of her voice roll off of him, and looked at her innocently, "I thought we could spend the afternoon, together _my love._"

Arya rolled her eyes at his term of endearment, then looked back to the weir tree, a clear dismissal of his presence. "I am praying."

Ramsay frowned, "then we'll pray together." He looked to the guards, "you are dismissed for the time being. I believe I have the Lady Arya's _protection_ well in hand. I doubt she'll find much any trouble while I'm watching out for her, and Kyra here will also be watching her every move."

Arya's jaw set when she realized that Ramsay had no intention of leaving her alone. He had tried to engage her in conversation before, usually it was him trying to provoke her into anger, but that was usually while they were in other people's presence. She didn't like that he wanted to be alone with her. But she did not look away from the weir tree, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing that worry in her eyes. This time as she looked upon the tree's face, she did offer up a silent prayer to her Father's old gods.

When the guards had retreated, Ramsay made his way over to her and stood by her side. "I've been told you come here to pray often." When she didn't respond to his comment he simply continued on. "What is it you pray about I wonder? Surely not to find a decent marital match, you already have that. And you're back home at Winterfell and once you're married to me, you'll even take your Mother's place as the Lady of Winterfell. It would seem the gods have already given you everything you could possibly want."

Finally, Arya craned her neck to look at him. Her grey eyes peered at him dully, then she deadpanned. "I pray for Stannis's victory."

His grin widened, he had gotten a reaction out of her. "I would think that would be a careless thing to wish for. Should Stannis's forces take over Winterfell, you would be displaced from your home again."

Arya shrugged, "while the Boltons reside here, Winterfell is a mere shadow of my home."

"Careful now, _my love_, you'll be a Bolton soon enough." Ramsay happily reminded her.

For a moment all she could do was stare at him hatefully. "I thought I was being manipulated into marrying a bastard that happened to be sired by Roose Bolton. I'm not marrying a true Bolton." She knew he didn't like being reminded of his roots.

That managed to wipe the smile from his face. He fixed her with an angry glare. "I _am_ a Bolton."

"Just because one bastard, even if he considers himself royalty, claims that another bastard is now a true born son, doesn't make it true." Arya said, a small smile of her own curving upon her lips. "You'll always be a bastard to me, _my love."_

Ramsay's rage was apparent, she had clearly hit a nerve. Kyra must have sensed her masters anger, and she started to bare her teeth at Arya with a low growl. Arya glanced down with a nervous look to the dog. Ramsay must have noticed the look, and the small bit of fear he saw in her eyes seemed to calm him slightly. "She is a ferocious, little pup isn't she. I wonder how she would have fared against your wolf. Nymeria was her name? Wasn't it?"

"I doubt a single hound of yours could be a match for Nymeria." Snapped Arya, she was angry with herself for allowing him to see her fear.

"You're probably right about that. But if we pitted your wolf against all of my bitches, I bet it would have been a fun fight to watch. A pity you had to leave her behind in the Vale, I would have liked to see her again." Ramsay said with a smirk.

"Aye, it is a pity. I would have liked for you to have seen her again as well. Although I'm sure it would have been less fun for you. I'm not sure you would have survived her wrath," she forced herself to match his smirk. "Have no fear though, I'm sure she'll find her way back to me sooner or later. The two of you can be reacquainted then."

"You think your wolf will come and rescue you then?" Ramsay said gleefully, "I don't think you realize your situation my Little Wolf. There is no escape for you," he took a step closer to her, he placed his hands on her arms and gripped her tightly. "this is what your life will be. Once we are married, you are mine to do with as I please. No little wolf pup will be able to get near enough to rescue you…"

Even as he kept on talking, Aray had stopped listening to him the instant the words _Little Wolf _left his mouth. He had _no_ right to call her that, that was Theon's name for her. She would not Ramsay sully that for her. Her voice was low when she interrupted his little speech that was filled with threats, "do not call me that again." She said attempting to pull herself free from his grasp.

He looked at her with a bit of surprise. "Don't call you what? Little Wolf?"

"Yes."

"I'll call you what I please," he said with a smile, he now had another thing to hurt her with, "Little Wolf."

He still held firmly to her arms. When she heard him use the name again she put up an even fiercer struggle and eventually broke free. He was amused at her reaction, and even more so when he saw the rage in in her eyes. "Only one man can call me that." She spat at him. Her temper had risen to the point that she had forgotten that one of his hounds was nearby. She had forgotten that she was virtually a prisoner in her own home. She had forgotten that for the moment she was at this man's mercy and that at the moment he held all the advantages.

He chuckled at her words and at her anger. He knew that she was speaking of Theon Greyjoy. "And that man's not coming to rescue you either." He threw the words her way flippantly.

She hadn't even realized that her hand had balled into a fist, or that she had raised it with every intention of slamming it into Ramsay's disgusting face. Unfortunately, he had seen that it was coming and he had lifted his own hand to catch her fist. His smile again disappeared, and he looked at her in disappointment. Kyra was now barking, ready to come to her masters defense. Without taking his eyes off Arya he snapped at the dog. "Hush Kyra, I can handle this." The dog growled, but backed away. Then to Arya, he said, "you, my lady, should not raise a hand in anger to your betrothed."

He roughly he pushed Arya's fist away from him. Then lifted his own hand, and backhanded her across the face. It was clearly meant to _teach her a lesson._ The hit was hard, and the force of the blow caused her head to turn. It hurt, she could not deny that, but she did not let out a cry of pain, nor would she let any tears come. She would not give him the satisfaction. Painfully, she turned her neck so she could look at him again. She lifted her hand to where the blow had landed on her mouth. When she pulled her fingers away, she noticed there was a small amount of blood on them. Her lip had been split. She blinked her eyes at him, but said nothing.

When he saw the cut upon her lip, he gave a small frown and then shook his head regretfully. "Look at what you made me do. Father will not be pleased. He warned me not to leave a mark on you, at least not anywhere that would be visible. He's worried it might make the Northern lords that are visiting angry." He let out a disgruntled sigh. "Come on then. Let's go see if we can get you cleaned up before anyone notices." He grabbed her arm and started to roughly pull her towards the keep.

She yanked her arm from him. "I can walk on my own. Thank you." She said as calmly as she could, she could not keep the disdain from her voice.

"Suit yourself." He said with an indifferent shrug.

Once they reached the court yard, Arya walked a few steps behind him, but she held her head high. She would not let this man break her spirit.

If Ramsay had wanted to keep this little confrontation a secret, he failed miserably. There were several people in the yard. They all took notice, and some of the men who noticed were attached to the Northern lords that had started making their way into Winterfell. Arya noticed one in particular. It was a man-at-arms that wore armer that had the Glover house sigil etched upon it. His eyes seemed to catch Arya's, his gaze shifted down to her bloodied lip, then he made eye contact once more with Arya. His eyes narrowed slightly. Then he looked pointedly at Ramsay, then again brought his gaze back to Arya. There was a silent question in his eyes, and Arya took that to mean that he was asking her if Ramsay had caused her injury. Just as Ramsay was about to walk them past that lone man-at-arms, she nodded her head yes. She caught the curt nod the Glover man gave to show that he understood her just as she walked passed.

That night the first of many mysterious _accidents_ that would plague Winterfell over the next few weeks, happened. A Bolton man-at-arms had fallen to his death while he walked the walls of Winterfell during his watch duty. Arya wouldn't have thought anything of it, but that particular guard happened to be in Ramsay's inner circle of friends. She could not help but wonder if she did have friends in Winterfell after all, and her mind instantly went to the man in the armor that bore the Glover sigil.

**Author's Note:**

To Narutoske: First, let me again apologize to you for forgetting to thank you in my last chapter. Thank you so much for your reviews! I love receiving them. I'm happy you're enjoying the story so far.

To ATP: I'm sure you'll be pleased with what I have planned in regards to Stannis and Co. You'll find out probably in another couple of chapters.

To Jean d'arc: As you can see, Manderly is more than willing to help. There will be a few other families that will throw their support into this little plan as well. Thank you so much for the review!

To Lord of Carrion: The Ironborn will be coming into play and you're not far off the mark on what Theon's roll will be.

To guest: Thank you! No need to be too worried for Arya, she's a tough Little Wolf.


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note:** I meant to get this up yesterday night, but I somehow got busy and I missed my deadline. So, sorry about that. And once more…I didn't intend for this to be such a long chapter, I was going to add more, but I realized I should end the chapter where I did. Again, allow me to thank you, my dear readers, I really do appreciate all of you. Just some quick notes, we're going to go along with the show in the fact that the Greatjon was not at the Red Wedding, and therefore he is not being held prisoner at the Twins. And a reminder that I went with Yara as Theon's sister's name instead of Asha, simply because I posted this under Game of Thrones and not A Song of Ice and Fire.

**Chapter 29**

Theon stood on the deck of the boat, his elbows propped on the rail as he eyes looked to the west. He wasn't in a friendly mood that afternoon and he was no fit company for anyone. So he kept his distance from those he still traveled with. They had parted ways with Lord Manderly and his main party just the day before. Brienne and Podrick went with him, taking the fork in the White Knife that would lead them closer to Winterfell. Theon, Sansa, and Olvyar kept going North. He had handed over Needle to Podrick, telling him to make sure he got the sword to Arya. He also hadn't seen Nymeria since the group separated. Theon had figured the wolf had followed the others knowing that they were heading towards Arya. With those concrete pieces of her gone, he felt like the last little bit of her had been taken from him. He didn't like that, so he stared wistfully to the west, the direction where his heart was.

Silently, he felt a presence take up the space next to him. He did't bother to turn his gaze to the person who dared interrupt his solitude. There was only one person who would come to check up on him. Usually it was Olyvar who would keep Theon company, even if Theon didn't want him to. He was slightly surprised when the newcomer cleared their throat and it sounded more feminine than Olyvar's usual hoarse, guttural sound. Theon turned his head to see that it was Sansa who stood next to him.

"Can I help you with something, Sansa?" He said it quietly, hoping that he kept the annoyance that he felt out of his tone.

"I just wanted to see how you were." She answered him quietly. She didn't look at him, her own gaze drifted to the west. She wore a contemplative look, that made him think that she too, was thinking of Winterfell.

"I'm fine." He answered, knowing that she wouldn't believe him, but he hoped she would take the hint that her company was not required, nor was it wanted.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "You know, you're not the only one who finds this situation difficult. She's my sister." She turned to look at him, and he could see the anger and fear in her eyes. "It's my home we sail past right now. Winterfell is just over there, somewhere," she waved her hand in the general direction of where the keep would be. "I haven't been this close to it in a very, very long time. If we stopped this boat right now, got off and started walking, it would only take us days to get there. Do you know how much I long to do just that?"

There was a bitter chuckle that escaped Theon's lips before he said, "I might have some idea."

"And you also know that we can't do that. So, it makes no sense for you to sit there and mope about simply because you can't be the one that saves Arya this time." Sansa said. She did not mean to be unkind, and she hoped that he knew that was not her intention. When he said nothing, and she watched as he turned his attention back to the west, she frowned miserably. "You've been avoiding us. Olyvar thinks you're planning on doing something rash, that you're going to slip away from us one night and go to Winterfell on your own."

"Olyvar worries too much." Theon muttered.

"So you haven't thought about doing just that?" Sansa asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because, if I'm going to be honest, I've thought about it." She shrugged her shoulders when he gave her an incredulous look. "They've just been thoughts. I would never act on it. I know I don't have the skills that would be needed to carry out such a stupid plan, but I think about it. I feel like I owe it to my sister to try."

"Why do you owe it to her?" Theon asked bitterly. "It's not your fault she was taken."

"No," she agreed. "But she's in the position she's in because of me. Lord Baelish meant for me to marry Ramsay Bolton. When I was no longer an option, Arya was the only suitable replacement. Whatever she's going through right now, it was supposed to be me. It doesn't seem fair that I'm in a safer place than she is."

"She would tell you that you're being stupid." Theon commented.

Sansa let out a small laugh. "Yes, you're probably right. She would be right too, she wouldn't want me to risk myself for her sake. She wouldn't want you to risk yourself either."

"Now you're starting to sound like Olyvar." He said quietly. "The two of you have nothing to worry about. I'm not going to run off. I know our best chance at getting Arya back is to follow this path. I also know that the best way to ensure her continued safety is to take back Winterfell and defeat the Boltons. I realize that our part is just as important as Pod's and Brienne's. He paused there for a moment, then added in a voice barely above a whisper. "I just want to see her again, I want to make sure she's okay. She's all alone, and I promised her I would always be there for her."

"You don't have to physically be there for her to keep that promise." Sansa pointed out. "She won't be alone for very much longer. Brienne and Pod will watch over her for you." She lifted her shoulders in an knowing shrug. "And from the stories both she and yourself have told me of your adventures in the Riverlands, I don't think she's as helpless as you seem to think she is. She's smart Theon, I know that from growing up with her, she's not going to let the likes of Petyr Baelish and Roose Bolton break her."

"You don't know about Ramsay." He said quietly. He remembered how the man seemed to frighten his sister.

"Perhaps not, but I knew Joffrey." Sansa said, "he was cruel and he enjoyed hurting people. I saw it in his face every time he humiliated me and ordered his guards to physically abuse me. If I can survive that, someone who is stronger than me, someone like Arya will have no problems enduring whatever it is they do to her."

What she said gave Theon pause. It was the first time Sansa had opened up to him about what she had lived through during her time in King's Landing. He knew that she must have given Arya some indication as to what happened to her, but Arya had never given him any details. But Arya did mention, during those times when he and youngest Stark girl found themselves alone back at Runestone, that she thought Sansa had been forced to grow up in her time away from Winterfell, that Sansa had hardened herself, and that she doubted Sansa even realized it. "You're just as strong as Arya, Sansa, maybe in just a different way." Theon told her. "At least that's what Arya thought. She told me so many times before she was taken."

"Did you talk to her a lot about me?" Sansa asked curiously.

"Aye, a lot. She missed you, even before she was forced from Winterfell. She wouldn't have admitted it, even to herself, but she did. And after Robb was killed, she insisted that we try to rescue you from King's Landing. She wouldn't listen to reason when Olyvar and I tried to tell her it would be suicide to go. We were even on our way there before we came across Pod and Brienne and found out that you were already away from the city." Theon said. "She doesn't have as much sense as the two of us. I was never really certain what her plans were to rescue you, I don't think she even knew how to go about it. But I don't doubt that she would have found a way."

Sansa smiled at how well Theon seemed to know her sister. "She would have, when we were growing up, I remember her doing things simply because someone told her she couldn't. I missed her more than I thought I would when I went South. It's good to know that she felt the same." She let the conversation lull for a moment than peered over at hims seriously. "You would follow her anywhere, wouldn't you?"

Theon nodded his head. "I would, that's why it's killing me, knowing I can't go to her now."

"You love her, a lot." She looked at him and saw him nod his head. She let out a soft laugh, "it's funny how things work out. I grew up wanting to be the girl that would fall in love with the dashing, young hero. I had fantasies of finding a love that would rival the stories that made up the songs. She never wanted any of that. She would have rather been the hero. It's hard to believe that the dreams I wanted, happened to her."

"I'm not really a hero, Sansa." Theon said quietly. "And I doubt there will be any songs sung about Arya and I, unless of course it's a tragedy." He said, adding a forced lightness to his tone, to try and show he was at least attempting to make a joke.

"Of course I know that the songs aren't real." She said. "But she loves you, and that's enough isn't it?"

"I guess," Theon admitted quietly.

I've come to realize that there are no heroes like those in the songs. I'd be happy just to find a strong a bond with someone, a bond as strong as the two of you have. I think that would be enough for me now." She said, and she almost sounded sad when the words were uttered from her mouth.

"You sound as if you don't think that will happen for you." Theon observed.

"I'm already married." She gave him a half smile, and he was surprised to realize it wasn't forced. "I don't love the man I was forced to marry. He wasn't the tall, handsome man I had always hoped for, but he was kind, and he was intent on protecting me. I think maybe I could have grown to love him if I had the chance." She could not bring herself to look at Theon as she made her confession. She knew he was probably staring at her, eyes wide in shock. Thankfully, he said nothing, and after a moment of silence, she went on. "Once I became a Lannister, Tyrion did what he could for me to keep me away from Joffrey and his cruelty. In a way I suppose he's protecting me now, being his wife makes it difficult for anyone to try to use me as a pawn. Although, I suppose that makes it worse for Arya, she becomes the more important Stark sister. If he had to, I'm sure Lord Baelish would have come up with some way to prove my marriage to Tyrion was invalid. When he figured out who the two of you were, Arya became just a more convenient choice for him. If you think about it, even if I hadn't managed to slip from his grasp, he might still have preferred to use Arya instead. She doesn't have a husband to get in the way."

Again there was a bit of quiet before either of them spoke. They both looked out over the river and in the general direction of Winterfell. "And now pretty soon Arya will have a husband too, only he won't be as kind as your's is." He said in a bitter, quiet voice.

"The plan will work Theon." She said this with a confidence she didn't know she had. "Arya will do what she has to do, and then she'll come back to you."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "I thought you didn't believe in happy endings anymore."

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Perhaps not completely happy endings. Half of our family is still gone. Even if we find Rickon at the Last Hearth, Bran is still missing, and Robb and my parents are still dead. There will always be some part of me, and I think maybe Arya too, that will always be sad. But when I saw the way she was with you, there was a spark of happiness there. She'll fight for that. So even if I don't believe in happy endings. I do believe in my sister."

—

Sansa's conversation with Theon seemed to have improved his mood, if only slightly. While he was still upset and worried about Arya, he realized that he wasn't the only one who felt that way. He made a choice after talking to Sansa, that pushing away those who had the same fears that he did was selfish. So he made an effort to become part of their small group again. They had work to do, Manderly had sent them North for a reason, and he had to trust that Podrick and Brienne could take care of Arya. There was no use dwelling on things he couldn't change. Sansa had been right, Arya could find her way through this, he had enough trust in her to know that she would find her way back to him.

So while he waited for her, he would do what he could to make sure what was left of her family would stay safe. He would find her younger brothers and he would make sure Stannis would be willing to help return the Starks to their rightful place in the North. With his new found resolve, the traveling seemed to go faster and before he knew it Sansa, Olyvar, himself, and the guards that Manderly sent with them, found their way to the Last Hearth.

They stood huddled together in the keep's court yard. The further North they had traveled, the colder the weather had gotten. They shivered as they waited outside. Theon's eyes drifted to the main building of the Last Hearth. It wasn't as impressive as Winterfell, Runestone, or the Twins, but it was solid and strong, much like the Umbers that dwelt their. It was then that he noticed the large doors had opened, and soon the Greatjon Umber himself stalked out of the building followed by a couple of his own guards.

Theon knew that Manderly had sent word ahead to the Umbers that Theon and his party would be coming, but it appeared that Jon Umber was being cautious. The large man came to a halt not too far from where Theon and the others stood, his stern glare moving from face to face scrutinizing each of them in turn. His guards stood there, hands on the hilt of their swords, ready to attack should their Lord command it. When Jon Umber's eyes rested on Theon, some of the tension that had been present in his eyes faded.

"I recognize you easily enough," Jon Umber said carefully, "from the last time I was at Winterfell, in the days before Robb Stark marched us South. You were practically the Young Wolf's shadow, I thought him a fool when he decided to leave you behind. I thought Theon Greyjoy would surely take his chance and run. It appears I was wrong. From what Manderly says, you managed to keep the youngest Stark girl alive. When the Boltons and Freys couldn't find any sign of you, we thought the both of you had been killed at the Twins, that your bodies had been lost in the chaos after that damned wedding." He stopped talking for a moment, his lips tugging downward in a frown. "Is it true, that the girl Bolton is marrying his bastard to is Arya Stark?"

Theon quietly said, "unfortunately, my Lord."

"And just how did that happen?" Umber asked harshly.

"It's a long story." Theon said, and when Lord Umber gave him a look that demanded more information he let out a small sigh. "We were out maneuvered by a man who is far more clever than I'll ever be."

Theon would have said more but Olyvar quickly came to his rescue. "Perhaps we could go into details once we're inside. It's awfully cold out here, and I have a feeling the Lady Sansa would like to see some of your _other_ guests." Olyvar said pointedly.

Umber turned his attention to Olyvar and nodded his head to show that he understood. "I remember you, too, the young Frey boy who squired for Robb Stark. It seems you're more loyal to the Starks than your own family." Umber shrugged his shoulders in indifference. "Considering who your family is, I don't blame you. It seems you all have long stories to share. And you're right, it would probably be best to tell them in front of a warm fire." Finally he turned his attention to Sansa. "Lady Sansa, allow me to welcome you to the Last Hearth." He stepped forward and offered Sansa his arm, which she took graciously.

"Thank you, my Lord." Sansa said politely.

Jon Umber nodded to his guards and they visibly relaxed. He quickly snapped out some orders. "Take care of the Manderly men, make sure they're fed and made comfortable. I'll seek them out shortly. I know they have messages from Wyman, and I am eager to hear what they have to say. But first let me take our young guests to what they truly seek here at Last Hearth."

With that said the Lord Umber led them inside the great keep. He showed the three of them quickly to an empty sitting room that had a fire roaring in the hearth. There were several comfortable chairs and Umber motioned for them to make themselves comfortable. "You'll have to understand that I had to make sure my other guests were well hidden when you showed up. I had to be certain that you were who you said you were. Now that I know that you are, I feel more comfortable brining young Rickon Stark out from hiding. If you'll wait here for a few moments, I'll go and fetch him for you. I'm sure you're eager to see your little brother, Lady Sansa." It was the first time Lord Umber allowed a smile to touch his lips since they had arrived.

"Very eager, my Lord," Sansa said with a smile that matched their host's.

"I won't be gone long." With that said Umber turned and marched out of the room once more.

Theon found himself to be restless while they waited, and chose not to sit, instead he paced the room slowly, taking in the more rustic decor the Umbers obviously favored. Olyvar offered the chair that was closest to the fire to Sansa, then took a seat of his own. All of them quiet, lost in their own thoughts. They had been that way for several minutes when the door to the room burst open.

A young boy of about seven or eight raced through the threshold. Theon recognized him instantly as Rickon Stark. He had grown in the months since Theon had last seen him, but Rickon still had the auburn hair of the Tullys and the eyes that had mirrored his mother. From his bold entrance into the room, Theon could see that there was still a wildness to Rickon that reminded him of Arya. Theon couldn't help but smile at the boy, as his bright eyes searched the room for Sansa.

Once Rickon's eyes landed on his sister, he practically shouted, "Sansa!" The older Stark girl was already on her feet, her eyes shining with unshed tears of happiness. Rickon then bounded over to her and launched himself at her, wrapping his arms around her waist in a tight hug.

"Hello, Rickon." Sansa said with a small laugh as she returned the boy's enthusiastic hug. "It's so good to finally see you agin. I was so worried about you."

"I was worried about you too." Rickon said as he pulled away slightly so he could crane his neck up to look at his sister with a happy smile. Then he seemed to remember that there were other people in the room as well, he looked slightly abashed when he saw that Theon had been watching him. He quickly dropped his arms away from Sansa's waist. He straightened up, lifted his shoulders high, hoping that it made him look more grown up. Of course the fact that Sansa's arm remained draped across his shoulders ruined the effect. "It's good to see you again, too, Theon." He looked to Olyvar, then promptly ignored him, realizing that the other boy was a stranger. He cast his glance around the room as if he was looking for more people. He frowned when he brought his gaze back to Theon. "Where is Arya?"

Theon visibly paled when he heard the question. They must not have told Rickon that Arya had not accompanied them to the Last Hearth. In the way a child's mind could only work, he must have thought that since Theon had left Winterfell with Arya, the logical assumption would be that Arya had been with Theon the entire time she was gone. Rickon thought she should be there with him now. When Theon opened his mouth to answer Rickon, he had no idea how he would answer the boy.

Thankfully, it was at that moment that Rickon's wolf, Shaggydog padded inside the room, so he could take his place at his master's side. He was closely followed by two women one he recognized as being Osha, the woman who they had captured that day so long ago when Bran and Arya had been attacked by a small band of wildings. Finally Theon brought his attention to the other woman, who's eyes took him in with a cold glance. It was his sister. Instead of answering Rickon's question, Theon instead said, "Yara," by way of greeting.

"Little Brother," was Yara's curt answer.

Rickon, not realizing that there was a tension between Yara and Theon, attempted to ask his question again. "Theon, where's Arya?" He sounded a little impatient.

"Hush, little one." That had been Osha. She seemed to know that now was not the time for Rickon's questions. "There'll be time enough for us to find out what happened to her later. I'm sure Lord Umber will want to hear that story, too, but he had to go take care of some things. For now why don't you introduce me to your oldest sister. It's time now for Yara to say hello to her brother."

Theon was grateful for that. It bought him a little time before he had to tell Rickon why Arya couldn't be there. And it gave him a chance to deal with the unresolved feelings he had concerning his sister and the rest of his family. For a moment he watched as Rickon went about introducing Osha to Sansa and then Sansa went on to introduce both Osha and Rickon to Olyvar. Once it seemed like the four of them were settled down into an easy conversation, he turned back to Yara. She had distanced herself from the others, knowing that she and her brother needed to talk. Carefully he made his way to where she stood.

"I'm happy to see that you were able to escape Winterfell with the Stark boys." Theon said quietly.

"I hear I have you to thank for that." Yara commented.

Theon offered her a harsh glare. "Of course, do you think I would make arrangements for only Bran and Rickon? You are my sister, of course I wanted to make sure you were safe."

She shrugged her shoulders in an off handed gesture. "Last time I saw you, you seemed more Wolf than Kraken, so I was surprised that you even made the effort."

Theon frowned, at one time a comment like that might have hurt him and he might have felt the need to defend himself. The truth of the matter was that he _was_ a Greyjoy. No matter what his sister thought, or even what his father might think, he had never denied that part of himself, even when he chose to stay at Arya's side when his father declared himself King of the Iron Islands. Nothing his sister could say would change who he was by birth, but the fact of the matter was, his time with the Starks had shaped him just as much as his blood did.

However all he said when he opened his mouth was, "beleive what you will, Yara, but even I can tell that you believe Father acted foolishly. Otherwise you would not still be here. You would have left for the Iron Islands the moment you escaped Winterfell."

Yara frowned, not wanting to admit that her brother was right, but he was. Balon should have never sent raiders to the Northern shores, he should have simply claimed the Iron Islands as his kingdom and continued to send his longships to raid further shores than those of Westeros. Her father had gotten too greedy, too quickly. She understood his folly now. They could have defended the Islands against foreign invaders, but they did not have the numbers to maintain control of any lands they might have stolen from the rest of Westeros. So of course she dreaded going back home, not only had she failed him, but she had abandoned his vision. She didn't want to have to tell him that he had been wrong.

She did not give voice to any of her thoughts. Instead she simply said, "I didn't go because those Stark boys needed all the help they could get."

Theon's eyes widened in surprise. "For all your accusations of me choosing the Starks over my own family, you do the same?"

Again she fixed him with her cold glare, then she shifted her gaze to where Rickon sat with the others. "Perhaps I have been a bit harsh with you on that account. I can see where you might have grown fond of at least some of the Starks. Both Rickon and Bran were very kind to me when I had been imprisoned at Winterfell, even when they didn't have any right to be. After you had left, before Ramsay came back to claim the keep, Bran had made the attempt to befriend me. Mostly because I was your sister, both of them seem to think very highly of you. It seemed like he wanted to repair any damage there was between you and your family. He helped me to understand some things about you, and about your time at Winterfell. I guess over those few days between you leaving and then that Bolton bastard taking Winterfell, I became fond of Bran, and Rickon too. There were only a handful of us that escaped, it was just myself, the Stark boys, Osha the Reeds, that simple, giant of a man," she had said meaning Hodor, "and that Bravosi Waterdancer,"

Theon looked surprised, he had not heard about what happened to Syrio Forell, he found that he was relieved that the man had escaped, Arya would have been happy too. But then he quickly brought his attention back Yara because she had not finished talking.

"While Osha, the Reeds, Forel, and those wolves that are always following them, are more than capable of protecting the two boys, I didn't feel comfortable leaving them. Especially when it was decided that the group should split into two" Yara said carefully.

Theon had been wanting to ask his next question from almost the moment he had seen Rickon burst into the room. He was happy the topic had finally been brought up. "Just where _is_ Bran?"

He must have voiced the question louder than he had thought and the words must have carried over to Sansa's ears. Because she was quick to interject "I would like to know that too."

Theon craned his neck to look over at Sansa, and noticed that the others were also looking at his sister and him curiously. His sister must have concluded that their time for private conversation was over and took a few steps towards the larger group. Theon followed suit, he knew there was still some underlying tension and that there were still many things unspoken, but perhaps his sister and him and come to a temporary truce.

When Yara knew she had everyone's attention, she said, "we didn't tell Lord Umber, nor anyone else. We thought it best to keep his whereabouts a secret. I suppose you at least, have the right to know, Lady Sansa. Bran went further North."

"To the Wall?" Sansa asked curiously, there was a touch of a smile upon her lips. "To go to Jon? Perhaps we'll see him sooner rather than later. The Wall is not that far."

"Not to the Wall, m'lady." Osha said grimly, "further, beyond the Wall."

A tense hush fell upon the room.

After a few moments, Sansa simply asked what Theon and Olyvar had wanted to know. "Why?"

"He said it was his destiny." Osha said.

"What in the Seven Hells is that supposed to mean." Olyvar asked incredulously.

"He was seeing things, in those dreams of his." Osha said. "And that Reed boy kept on feeding his fantasies. He said that he was supposed to find something, or someone beyond the Wall. I tried to tell him there was nothing there to find except death, but he wouldn't listen. Him and the Reeds were determined to go."

"It's true," Yara said. "They would not listen to reason. Reluctantly, we had to let them go."

"You couldn't have stopped them?" Theon asked bitterly. He had this strange feeling that Bran Stark would be forever out of their reach. "Syrio agreed with this?"

"Forel said it was none of his business and stayed out of the discussion." Yara snapped.

"And where is he now?" Theon asked, he had a few questions for the Bravosi.

"Once we reached the Last Hearth, he made sure we would be safe here, then left, claiming he needed to make his way back to Bravos." Yara said. "I didn't see the need to stop him from doing so."

"Nor could you stop a cripple boy, two children, and a feeble minded man from going to their deaths." Theon commented in a mean tone.

"Stop it. The both of you." Osha hissed. "What's done is done. And we couldn't have stopped him. Even if I didn't want him to go, those dreams he has, they do mean something, m'lord. Perhaps it really is what he is meant to do."

"He does have something important to do North of the Wall, Theon. I don't know what, but I can feel it." Rickon piped in quietly.

Theon looked down at the youngest Stark, he could tell the boy was scared for his brother, but there was also a look of resolve within the young boy's eyes. He had accepted his brother's choice to willingly walk into danger, and Theon supposed he could do no less. He just hated to have to be the one to tell Arya about Bran when he saw her again. He looked to Sansa, and she saw that he looked just as worried and frightened for her brother. He let out a reluctant sigh, "the Reeds are with him. Meera can handle herself in a fight. Summer is also with him. He has a chance to survive whatever it is that he's doing." He said the words more to convince himself then anyone else.

After that, they remained quiet for a time, no one really knew what to say. It was an uncomfortable silence, that was only broken by the rustling of clothing as bodies shifted to find a more comfortable position. It was finally Rickon who broke the silence. "Now could you tell me what happened to Arya?"

It was also at that moment, that Lord Umber choose to make a reappearance. He must have heard Rickon's question as he stepped inside the room. "I would like to hear that story, too."

And so, Theon complied. He had started the tale from when he and Arya left Winterfell to go join her brother at the Twins and he told of what happened to them up until they had parted ways with Brienne and Podrick only a few short days ago, omitting only the most intimate details between him and Arya. Sansa and Olyvar added their own stories and soon enough the others had a pretty good idea of what had happened to them over the past few months.

"Well, that really is quite the story." Umber murmured when the whole of it had been told. "I know most of what Manderly has planned and I support it, make no mistake on that. Pretty soon I'm going to have to make my way to Winterfell under the guise of attending _Lord_ Ramsay's wedding. I won't be able to drag my feet any longer. Bolton is anxious for all of Stark's former banner men to swear loyalty to him. If I hold out any longer he'll be suspicious. And I suppose you'll have to head to the Wall sooner, rather than later." He looked to Sansa. "My advice would be for you to stay at Last Hearth with Rickon while Lord Theon and Olyvar treat with Stannis. The Wall is no place for women and children."

"No." Sansa said with conviction. "I would go to the Wall. I need to see my brother, Jon is part of what little family I have left."

Theon interrupted before anyone else could say anything. He was surprised by Sansa's concern for Jon Snow. He had thought her indifferent to her father's bastard. She had certainly never called him _brother_ before. "I wasn't aware you felt so strongly about him."

"Perhaps there was a time when I didn't." Sansa admitted. "But he is of Stark blood, and that makes him family. I know I was not always kind when it came to him, I would change that now. I have so little left, I know I should cherish what I do have. I want to see him."

Theon again noted at how much King's Landing seemed to have changed Sansa Stark. He said nothing, but he nodded his head to her to show that he understood.

Sansa looked to the others, and then continued talking. "Besides, Olyvar is from the Riverlands and Theon from the Iron Islands. Neither of them are of the North, you need a Northern voice to talk to Stannis. Rickon is too young, that leaves me." She paused a moment, "I can do that, with Olyvar and Theon's help."

For a moment, the rest of the room's occupants just stared at her stunned. Finally it was Umber who spoke. "Well, alright then. I guess that's settled. Sansa will go with you. I'll send along a couple of guards, that should see you safety there. There has been some wilding activity, but the Watch and Stannis seemed to have put that to rest. But I'd feel better knowing you had an escort to the Wall."

"I'd like to go with, too." Yara said quietly.

Again there was a moment of silence before Theon put forth, "any particular reason?"

"Perhaps I'm feeling a little protective of my younger brother," Yara answered in jest. "Or maybe I thought it time someone talk with Stannis about what his intentions are with the Ironborn."

Theon doubted Stannis had anything good planned for the Iron Islands if or when he claimed the rest of Westeros. Perhaps Yara going to meet with the man would not be a bad idea. Even if he was certain his father would not be pleased with it. Who knows, maybe Theon could even help with those talks. At least he could do something for his family in the long run. Again, Theon just nodded his head to show that he agreed with Yara's addition.

"Anything else then?" Umber looked around to all his guests, waiting to see if anyone else had any requests. When everyone remained quiet, he looked satisfied, "then I suppose we all have much to prepare for. I'll have some of my people escort you to your rooms. I'm sure the three of you will want to rest up."

—

The past couple of weeks at Winterfell had been, _interesting_ to say the the least and Arya had reveled in it. What had started with Ramsay striking her, followed by an _accident _that had claimed one of Ramsay's friends life, had turned into a series of unfortunate mishaps to fall upon the Boltons and those very few families who were loyal to them.

That wasn't to say that her time in Winterfell was pleasant. Ever since their little meeting in the Godswood, Ramsay had become even more determined to spend time with her. She often had to endure his company when she walked the grounds, and the Godswood had no longer become a safe haven for her. He was far from pleasant company. He often found subtle ways to hurt her by bringing up her dead family members, or Sansa, or Theon. She tried not to show any emotion when he was particularly cruel, she had realized that was her mistake that day in the Godswood. He had enjoyed her reactions, thus making him want to provoke her more.

However one morning after a particularly restless night, he had fell into step with her and she was not prepared to deal with his cruelty. He seemed intent on talking about Robb that morning. He asked questions about the wedding. She never answered any of them, of course, and she did her best to ignore him as he chatted away happily. For all her silence, her discomfort must have been plainly written across her face because he was particularly gleeful and wasn't as careful as he usually was when he was tormenting her. When they had walked past several men, all of who she recognized as being Glover men, or men of those houses who were on friendly terms with the Glovers, Ramsay had made the mistake of making a particularly hurtful comment about the _so-called King in the North. _That, of course got the North men's attention, and then they saw the Lady Arya, pale, with her lips turned down into a frown, and her eyes watery from trying to keep from crying. She may have exaggerated her reactions to Ramsay for the North men's benefit (she had become good at hiding her emotions) just a little. She was rewarded that same afternoon for her little act. There had been an accidental fire in the rookery, several ravens had died before they were able to put the fire out.

There was another time when she had braved the Godswood again, Ramsay of course followed her. She didn't have to worry about putting on an act for sympathetic eyes. No one but Ramsay and her guards accompanied her to the weir tree. On that afternoon, he was intent on getting and keeping her attention. She did not comply easily. When she had tried to walk away from him, he grabbed her wrist and held it firmly in his grasp, so tight that it had left bruises. Her long sleeved dresses normally would have hid that evidence of Ramsay's violence. However, the Boltons and Arya had taken supper with Lord Glover that same night. As luck would have it, she had been seated next to him. Subtly she had pushed her sleeve up, every once in awhile, hoping the man would have caught the dark marks on her skin. The next morning it became apparent that Glover had seen them. Another one of Ramsay's friends had failed to report for his morning duties. The castle was searched, but not a trace was found of him. Glover had made the suggestion that the man had deserted the Boltons, but Arya knew better.

There weren't a lot of these _incidents_. But they happened often enough that Roose Bolton was suspicious that there was more to these _accidents_ than met the eye. Fortunately for everyone except the Boltons, there was no way to prove it. Roose must have realized that the problems that plagued Winterfell had all started when Ramsay had started to pay more attention to Arya. Suddenly Ramsay had seemed to lose interest in Arya and the accidents stopped.

Then a couple of Walder Frey's sons arrived, along with the men-at-arms he had promised to Lord Botlon and a new tension had blanketed Winterfell. Most of the Northern lords that had gathered at Winterfell had lost someone at the Twins the night of the Red Wedding. There had been several days of a tentative peace between the Northerners and Southroners, but Arya had the feeling that the smallest spark would set something off.

She was proven right. Roose and Ramsay had been generous with the Frey men, and one night after having drunk a rather large portion of the Bolton's ale, they had gotten a bit loud as they told _war stories_. Most of which had been about their exploits at the Red Wedding and they only got louder when they realized that there were several Northerners near them who could hear their every word. Of course a fight had broken out. Roose Bolton had managed calm the situation before it got too out of hand.

However, the next morning, two Frey men had been found dead, apparently they had succumbed to the elements. They were vastly underdressed for the cold Northern nights. No one knew why they had been outside in such a state. The Northerners had laughed disdainfully and made comments at the stupidity of foolish Southroners. Everyone had suspected foul play and that some of the Northern men were responsible for their deaths, but again there was a lack of evidence.

On the morning of this latest incident Arya had found herself in the court yard watching the chaos that the newest deaths had brought to Winterfell. She watched the scene quietly, her guards a respectful distance from where she stood. She had to force herself not to smile as several men started to cart the dead away. She had seen Lord Bolton's expression when he had saw the dead men. He was worried that he was starting to lose control and she was enjoying that immensely.

Once things started to settle into a tense calm, she knew she should make herself disappear for awhile. Ramsay would no doubt be looking to cheer himself up after such an eventful start to the day. That meant he would be looking to torment her and she did not want the man to ruin her morning. Without drawing too much attention, she slipped away from the main court yard and started for the place that had become her new safe haven since the Godswood was no longer a choice.

Strangely enough that place had been Winterfell's crypts. She had of course known the crypts were there, she had played in them as a child with her brothers, but it never occurred to her to use it as a place to hide from Ramsay Bolton. It wasn't until the man had started to pay closer attention to her that she realized it was a prefect place to get away from him. The first time she had ventured down the cold, dark stairs she carried a lantern to help guide her way, and her guards followed her wearily. She could tell that they were uncomfortable, especially when the statues of long dead Starks seemed to stare down at them with stone eyes that seemed to judge them harshly. They didn't stay down there long. They inspected the crypts as quickly was possible, and when they realized there were no hidden tunnels that she could use to escape Winterfell, they thought it would be safe to leave her there alone while they watched the door to the only entrance of the crypts. Of course they had to check her for weapons every time she emerged from the stairs, just in case she got it into her head to steal any of the real blades the stone statues carried. They didn't have to worry, Arya would have never stolen a sword that had belonged to her ancestors. It would have felt like a violation and Winterfell had been violated enough.

Arya was able to slip into the crypts easily enough with only her guards taking notice as to where she had gone. She picked up the lantern that she had stored off to the side on the top step. She had never bothered to light the lanterns that had hung on the walls of the the crypt. She preferred the one she carried, had the crypts been brighter she feared that other people might find their way down there to bother her. Before she started down the stairs she turned to the guards and said coldly, "I won't be long." Then left them behind in the safety of the daylight and the living.

She took the familiar path down the stairs, and walked past the Starks who had lived long ago, who had once been kings before Aegon the Conquerer came and Torrhen Stark bent the knee, she had walked past the Stark lords that came after, until finally she had reached the statues that she had been told was her grandfather, Rickard Stark, her Uncle Brandon, and the lone woman who's bones lie in the crypt, her Aunt Lyanna. She stopped walking, and looked at the empty space next to them. The place where her father should have been put to rest, and Robb too. It saddened her to know that her father and brother might never return to Winterfell. She supposed their bones would be forever lost.

She didn't know how long she had sat there, mourning her brother and father, when a cheery voice interrupted her. "Such a dreary place." She turned to look at the person who had disturbed her and frowned. Of course it would be Ramsay Bolton. He held up a lantern of his own, and gave the Stark girl an easy smile before he set the lantern down at his feet.

"Must you follow me down here as well," her voice sounded resigned and tired.

"Not to worry, my love, I'll not bother you here often. Lord Baelish told me a few days ago that this is where you go when you want to avoid me. I realize you must have some time to yourself. I won't interfere when you come here to pay your respects to the dead." He said as he turned to look at the statue that had resembled Lyanna Stark, he seemed contemplative as he took in her stone figure.

Arya held tightly onto her own lantern, her hand squeezing the handle in frustration. She should have known Lord Baelish would know where her hiding place was. He probably watched her as closely as the guards that Lord Bolton had on her. Or who knows, maybe he paid some of those guards to tell him what she got up to. She remained silent as she glared at him.

"I suppose it is hard to carve a true likeness into stone, I heard your aunt was supposed to be quite beautiful. She must have been if we're to believe the stories of Rhaegar Targaryen stealing away with her." He gave a confused sigh, "looking at this particular statue, I don't really see what all the fuss was about." He turned back to look at Arya.

For her part, Arya soundly ignored his deprecating comments about her Aunt. "Did you want something, or are you here simply to bother me, after you just told me you wouldn't interfere with my time here."

"Oh yes," he said with a little chuckle. "I almost forgot, I was so caught up in your family history that there was a reason I came down here. I'm here to tell you that Lord Manderly will be arriving today, my father would like you to be in attendance to greet him. He's one of the last of the Northern lords to arrive at Winterfell. Now we just have to wait on Jon Umber to make his way here. Once he has come, our wedding will finally be able to take place."

"Then I pray Lord Umber takes his time," Arya muttered lowly, under her breath so Ramsay could not hear her.

"What was that, my love?" The amused smile played easily on his lips, as his eyebrows raised in curiosity at her. "Aren't you excited." When he saw her icy glare, he let out a low chuckle. "Don't tell me you're nervous." He took a step toward her, and unconsciously she took a step back. That seemed to amuse him further. "Tell me my sweet Little Wolf, is it the wedding _night_ that you are worried about?"

She had to stop herself from reacting to _Little Wolf._ Perhaps if she ignored him when he used it, he would tire of trying to get a reaction out of her. And she definitely wouldn't dignify his question with an answer. She watched as he took another step closer, she forced herself to remain in still. When he took another step, one that put him directly in front of her, she lifted her chin up proudly, as if to show him she wasn't frightened of him.

He offered her another smile, "I'm certain most young, noble born brides find themselves scared of what's to happen on their wedding nights. If their new husband is not gentle, the first time can be very painful for the girl." He lifted his hand and let his index finger trace along her jaw. If it had been anyone else the gesture might have seemed tender. "Not to worry, my love, there will be some discomfort at first, but I promise you I'll be gentle with you." His tone however, betrayed that he would be anything but gentle.

For a moment all she could do was look at him in disbelief. Finally she couldn't help but let out the laugh that had been bubbling up inside her throat. She raised the hand that hadn't been holding the lantern to push his hand away from her. She was amused by his scare tactics, but she still couldn't stand his touch. She laughed even harder when she saw the confusion that had passed over Ramsay's face.

"What is it that you find so funny, my lady?" he asked.

Once she had her laugh under control, she looked at him, amusement still showed in her eyes and a smile was still curved on her lips. "I can't decide which amuses me more. The fact that you think my virtue is still in tact, or that you think you will have the opportunity to touch me." She couldn't help but let out another soft laugh after she had said the words.

The confusion had left his expression and was replaced with the rage. Before she realized what was happening, the hand that had first touched her reached up to grab her neck. His fingers curved around the back and his thumb rested on the front of her throat. He held on to her firmly, it wasn't enough to impair her breathing, but it was still uncomfortable having his hand there. His other hand he placed on her hip, this time the grip was tight and she knew there would be marks there. He looked down at her, his pale eyes flashing dangerously. He pulled her closer to him, and finally some fear managed to come to her. The lantern she had held, sputtered out as it fell from her fingers and clattered to the ground. She raised her hands in an attempt to push herself away from him, but he held her tightly.

"I will have plenty of opportunities to touch you, my love. Remember that these Northern lords won't be here forever. Once they leave there will be no one here to protect you. That is when the true fun will begin." He seemed to be able to calm himself slightly, and he tilted his head as his eyes studied her and the fear he saw in her expression. She had stopped struggling, she must have realized that he was in charge at the moment. The pad of his thumb stroked her throat, as if he wanted to remind her how easy it would be to crush her windpipe. Then with a sick smile he said, "it disappoints me that I won't be the first to bed you. Let me guess, it was that Greyjoy boy who had that honor. That does anger me a little, I'll have to see about acquiring him from Littlefinger. I'm sure I'll find a creative way in which to punish him. I do not like it when people touch my things. Remember, Arya, you are my Little Wolf now."

Then without warning, he let her go. She could feel herself shaking when he did so. He had frightened her more here than he did in the Godswood. He said nothing as he turned from her and she said nothing to him. He picked up the lantern that he had brought and then turned back to her. The smile that he wore so often when he thought he was being friendly was back in place. "Shall we go my love. We've lingered down here too long. My father will be looking for us." He offered her his arm.

Arya could still not find her voice, but she was able to slip her proud mask back into place. Woodenly she raised her hand to take his arm and he started to lead them out of the crypts.

—

**Author's Note: **I was going to have going to have Arya meet Lord Manderly in this chapter, but it got kind of long. So that will happen next time. Also, Stannis will finally enter the picture. I know some of you have been waiting for that.

To Tommyginger: Someone needed to tell Brienne that she needed to focus on the living. I love the woman but sometimes she's just too focused on avenging Renly I'm glad you agree. :)

To Narutoske: Oh, Ramsay does like Arya's wild side. I would think he would find it fun to try to break her of it. Arya in the books is very lucky not to be used as a political pawn when it comes to betrothal. I often wonder about what would have happened should Arya have been in Jeyne's position. Because I could see her constantly fighting back, or I could have seen her biding her time waiting to attack Ramsay when he didn't expect it. I don't think she would have been the doormat that Jeyne was.

To Lord of Carrion: Don't worry, this Stannis will not be show Stannis. As for the rest, I shall not say what happens, but I do know how everything is going to play out.

To jean d'arc: Haha, I think we both share the same views on what happened in season 5, I understand the rant. The show runners missed out on some of the more interesting plots, especially with what was going on in the North. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Sorry if I got your hopes up in thinking that Nymeria would come and finish Ramsey off.

To ATP: As much as I find what GRRM did in the books concerning the wildings more realistic, and better thought out, I'm going to go with the show numbers on this with this one. Mainly because I need Jon to have witnessed what happened at Hardhome to further along certain character's story lines. (Thank you for the compliment by the way.)


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: **So this is yet another super long chapter. Hah, I think they're getting longer because I know we're getting near the end of this particular tale. I'm thinking maybe four or five more chapters. This chapter is a bit of a lead up chapter, I've decided that these chapters are the hardest to write. I experienced some trouble with this one in particular, from the writing of it to the editing of it. So, I hope it's okay, bear with any mistakes that have been made. Again I want to say thank you to all the readers. And the reviews some of you have been leaving have been so inspirational!

**Chapter 30**

Arya stood in the court yard, silently staring ahead at nothing in particular. She stood next to her soon-to-be husband, and Roose stood with his wife just a few paces ahead of herself and Ramsay. Everyone else was watching intently as a wheelhouse was entering Winterfell's yard. She had learned that Lord Manderly had traveled most of the way to the keep by boat, and she wondered why the man hadn't rode the rest of the way on horseback. It seemed a bit extravagant for him to have taken a wheelhouse for so short a distance. The thought was only fleeting one and soon it slipped out of her mind, like most of the other thoughts she had come to her mind that afternoon.

Not surprisingly, Arya's head was preoccupied with what had happened earlier that morning in the crypts. It was the first time she had been truly frightened for her life. Sure she had been scared on the night that she had lost her mother and brother, but she had never been scared for _her_ life. Her fear had been for her family, and for Theon. Even when she traveled with Theon and Olyvar through the Riverlands, where they had feared they would be discovered on a daily basis she had never been truly scared. She had always thought they could find their way out of whatever mess they were caught in. She supposed it also helped to know that everyone seemed to want her alive and unhurt (she was the perfect pawn after all). Her life had never been in any actual danger. Again, any worry she had felt was for those she loved. It had always been that way, her life was never as important to her as those lives of the people she deemed worthy of receiving her affections.

But when she had been with Ramsay in the crypts and his hand was on her throat, she realized just how mortal she was. She saw in his eyes that she had almost pushed him too far. He thrived on tormenting other people and enjoyed their pain. What frightened her the most was that the things he had done to her so far, was him being on his best behavior. He knew he couldn't get away with hurting her too badly, either physically or mentally while there were so many witnesses. Especially when most of those witnesses would be sympathetic to her. He had reminded her that the Northerners ,who were in some small way protecting her now, would not always be at Winterfell. When they left, he could do whatever he wished to her. Who was to say what would happen to her when she had served her purpose? Once she married Ramsay, the Boltons would have claim to Winterfell, even more so when she birthed Ramsay an heir or two. Once that was done, she would be expendable. What if she pushed him to far then? Would he kill her?

All these thoughts and worries whirled around in her mind to the point of distraction. She hadn't noticed that the wheelhouse had come to a stop, that there was a bustle of activity as the person who occupied the vehicle needed help exit it. She didn't paid attention as the newcomer lumbered over to Lord Bolton and introduced himself. Nor did she notice when Roose Bolton had called Ramsay and Arya forward so he could introduce them to Winterfell's newest guest. She was only pulled out of her thoughts when Ramsay took her arm, his fingers digging into the flesh of her elbow, it hurt, even through the thick cloak she wore.

She craned her neck to look at Ramsay, willing herself to keep her expression neutral. She could not let him see that she was still affected by his actions form earlier in the day. He wore a smile, one that probably looked endearing to the others in the yard, but she could see the warning in his eyes. He leaned over to whisper lightly in her ear, "come, love, my father wants to introduce us to Lord Manderly." She shuddered in revulsion when his breath hit the exposed skin of her ear and neck.

Quickly she turned her attention to where Lord Bolton had stood. He gave her a curious look, wondering why she had taken so long to respond to him. She managed to put on the most polite smile she could and then brought her eyes to the man Roose had been talking to while she worried about her future. What she saw startled her. The man was very fat, but that wasn't what had startled her, although that did explain why he chose not to ride to Winterfell, she doubted he could ride a horse with how big he was. No, she was startled by the fact that he was so familiar. She had dreamed of this man, in one of her _wolf_ dreams. He had been the man who had been with Theon and Olyvar, the fat man who had been riding a litter. This was all the hard proof she needed to know that those dreams of hers were real.

And suddenly there was hope. Did that mean her friends had come with him, that they had come for her? Did she dare hope that she would see them soon? But soon those joyous thoughts started to recede and the worry started to creep in. Were they being careful? Didn't they realize how dangerous it was for them to be there? What if Baelish found them? Then he really would be able to use them against her. Worse, what if Ramsay found them out? He had already threatened Theon. And she was sure he could easily find _uses_ for the others that would torment her as well.

Again, her thoughts were interrupted by Ramsay, as he tugged on her elbow. She realized she must have been staring at Manderly far longer than what would be considered polite. Quickly, she diverted her gaze to the ground as Ramsay started walking, pulling Arya along with him, so that he could close the small gap between them and Manderly.

"Lord Manderly," Ramsay said to the fat man, his voice full of false politeness. "Allow me to introduce my betrothed."

Arya was careful to only look at the fat man as she managed to offer him a polite curtsy in greeting. "Lord Manderly, a pleasure to meet you," was all she had said. She wanted desperately to let her eyes wander to the people Manderly had brought with him, to search out the recognizable faces of Theon, Olyvar, Brienne, Pod, or even Sansa. She did not dare to do so, she was being watched closely, by Littlefinger and by Roose Bolton, and if she paid too close attention to Manderly's people, those two men might become suspicious. She did not want to endanger those she cared about if they were stupid enough to come to Winterfell.

For a moment, Manderly said nothing. He peered at her shrewdly, and then nodded his had as if he seemed pleased by what he saw. It appeared that she was in good health, and that she was being treated well. At least it looked that way, he had reports from some of the lords that had been in Winterfell the past few weeks that she had suffered some abuses. But she seemed to be handling them with grace. Theon and Sansa had been right, she was a strong wolf. "A pleasure to finally meet you, as well, my lady. There are many people in the North who would be relieved to know that you have returned home, to Winterfell, safely." He offered her a smile, and then turned his attention to Ramsay. The moment his eyes met Ramsay's, his smile started to look forced. "I suppose I should offer you my best wishes on your betrothal."

"Yes, we are most fortunate, in our match." Ramsay was all smiles, and the hand that gripped Arya's arm tightened in warning, he wanted to make sure she remembered to behave.

She felt herself nod her head in agreement to Ramsay's words and then meekly brought her gaze back down to the ground, and she hated herself for it. She felt like Ramsay was controlling her like a puppet. She wanted to break away from the strings he seemed to have put on her during their confrontation in the crypts. But she could still feel Ramsay's hand at her throat, and she could imagine it tightening, crushing her wind pipe, and she didn't want to risk angering him. She was scared, and not just for herself. What if Manderly had brought her friends there, and was hiding them while they waited for an opportunity to approach her? What if she did something that would provoke Ramsay's wrath, forcing them to reveal themselves prematurely, and because of that they got caught? She could not risk endangering them too, so she would try to keep a low profile until she could find a way to assess the situation. She needed to find out what Manderly knew about Theon, Sansa, and the others and if they were close by. Then she would figure out what her next move would be.

Once the formal greeting of the guests was over, Roose Bolton suggested that they make their way into the keep, where they would be able to warm themselves by a fire. There had been several matters that Lord Bolton had wanted to discuss with Lord Manderly and they would be more comfortable within the keep. Arya allowed Ramsay to escort her inside. Once they were inside, she promptly excused herself feigning fatigue and informed him that she wished to take a nap before supper.

—

That night, there was a feast at Winterfell, not only to welcome Lord Manderly, but Roose Bolton had hoped it would prove to ease some of the tensions between the lords who had assembled there. Which meant that the main hall would be very busy. Arya had hoped that it would be an opportune time to approach Lord Manderly. Her guards would still be watching her, but they managed to keep their distance and were desecrate enough not to listen in on all of her conversations. Of course people would notice her talking to Manderly, but hopefully no one would be able to overhear her questions should she get a chance to talk to him.

For most of the meal, she stayed dutifully by Ramsay's side, quietly eating her food and making sure she keep he eyes down at her plate. As the night wore on, Ramsay increasingly ignored her, eventually he waved her away when she said she was starting to get tired and that she wished to retire soon. She slowly stood up, her eyes drifting over to where Lord Manderly sat, laughing and talking with those lords that surrounded him. She took one last sip of the wine that had sat mostly untouched in the goblet by her plate. She set the goblet back down in it's spot with a small sigh, now was the time approach Manderly. Slowly she pulled away from the table she had occupied most of the night with her betrothed. She plotted the easiest path through the maze of tables and people that would take her to Manderly, then promptly dropped her gaze to the floor, making sure to keep any sign of defiance from her demeanor.

Since she wasn't exactly looking where she was going, it was no surprise that she managed to walk into someone. She managed to hold back a curse that she seemed to automatically want to utter. Her first instinct would have been to give the poor person she had stumbled into a cold glare, and then harshly tell them to watch where they were going. Even if they hadn't been at fault. But she was presenting herself as the perfect lady, so she composed herself enough to hide any annoyance she felt, she started to say, "excuse me, I wasn't…" But as she lifted her head to look the man she had bumped into, her words died away in her mouth as she recognized who it was that stood before her.

It was Podrick. She was so startled by his appearance that she had forgotten she had been in the middle of an apology. Thankfully Podrick seemed to realize that he had surprised her. He started talking before anyone had a chance to become suspicious as to why Arya Stark was staring at a supposed stranger with her mouth open in shock. "Pardon me, my lady. It was my fault, I should have watched where I was going."

"It's, it's okay." She said starting to collect her wits again. She was careful not to say his name out loud. "Are you-"

"I was actually on my way to talk to you, my lady." Pod said quickly, knowing that the longer they lingered, talking to each other the more likely they might gain unwanted attention. "Lord Manderly sent me to fetch you, he would like to speak with you before you retire for the evening." He held out his arm for her to take, and when she stepped forward to take it, he whispered so that only she could hear, "and he thought he'd send me to get you so that you knew you could trust him. It's probably best if we don't say too much to each other right now, you never know who might be listening."

Arya nodded her head to show that she understood as he started to lead her to where Manderly sat. They didn't speak as they walked through the crowd, and she did see a few raised eyebrows. Those people were probably wondering who the strange boy was that was escorting Lady Arya. She also knew that once they realized that he was only taking her to speak with Lord Manderly they would lose interest in her and Podrick.

Once they reached Manderly, Podrick spoke again, this time to the fat man. "Lord Manderly, Lady Arya as requested." Arya hadn't realized that she was gripping tightly to Podrick's arm, almost as if she was afraid that he was only a figment of her imagination. Pod raised his other hand and gently patted her hand, both offering her a little bit of comfort and a reminder that she should probably break her hold on him. She gave him a sheepish smile and then dropped her hand. He returned the smile before bringing his attention back to Manderly.

Manderly nodded his head in approval. "Very well, my boy. Why don't you go back outside and see if you can't find Brienne. I'm sure she's eager for you to tell her how Lady Arya fairs."

Arya felt a little of the tension she held in her shoulders give way. Brienne was at Winterfell with Podrick. But there was still the question of Theon, Sansa, and Olyvar. Where were they? She was only given a brief moment to ponder that question, when she realized that Podrick had been dismissed and was walking away from her and Manderly. She frowned as she watched him go without a word. Her heart hurt as she realized the only friendly face she had seen in weeks was walking away from her.

"Relax, Lady Arya," Lord Manderly said kindly, "you'll see him again. I promise." His voice was low, obviously to keep anyone from overhearing what he had to say. "But we have to speak quickly, I doubt your husband-to-be will allow this conversation to last very long. He seems intent on keeping you on a short leash, especially around the other Northern lords."

"He's afraid I might try something, my lord, that I might appeal one of the lords for help." Arya affirmed.

Manderly nodded his head to show that he understood. "Is there ever a time when you don't have guards on you? Or do they follow you everywhere." He asked, his eyes moving to the men who were a respectful distance away, but they were still watching Arya intently.

"They aren't always there when Ramsay demands my attentions." Arya said thoughtfully, "and they don't like to follow me into the crypts, most people like to avoid those dark underground halls. They know that there is only one way in or out of them, so they simply wait at the entrance for me. Ramsay followed me there once, but he promised not to bother me too often while I visited the dead. But I don't trust him to keep to his word." She said bitterly.

"The crypts, hmm," Manderly said thoughtfully, "we can work with that. How often does Ramsay require you to be at his side."

"Only when he seems intent on tormenting me." Arya said quietly, "which is more often then I like, but he still has duties that require his attention. So I get a few hours every day to myself."

"Then I'll have to make sure I have his attention tomorrow afternoon." Manderly said satisfied. "You go down to the crypts, I'll make sure Brienne and Podrick make their way down there right after the midday meal. Can you discreetly watch for them to make their way there?" He waited for her to nod her head yes, and then continued. "Once you see them enter, wait a half of an hour and then follow them down. They'll be able to explain what's going on, and you'll be able to discuss your options."

She eyed Manderly carefully, wondering just how far she could trust him. Did he have a plan to help her escape the Boltons grasp? And if he did, just how good was this plan, did it actually have a chance at succeeding? And how many people would she have to risk to put it into motion? She knew that Brienne and Podrick were already at risk. "My lord, about…"

"You're worried about that Theon and your sister. Both of them and the Frey boy are safe, there is no need to fret about them. They're out of Bolton's reach for now." Manderly said, and when he saw her face visibly relax and that a faint smile had touched her lips he knew that he had put her mind at ease. Then his attention was drawn to where Ramsay Bolton was seated. The bastard was eyeing them thoughtfully. Manderly looked back to Arya. "You'll want to take your leave soon. Your intended has spied us talking, and he looks curious. I'm sure he'll be heading over shortly to interrupt. But before you go, tell me, how difficult has it been for you here?" He asked seriously.

"I've been surviving." Arya reassured him. "It has not been pleasant, but…it's been nothing I cannot handle." Her mind instantly went to the incident with Ramsay earlier that day in the crypts. It was true, that was the first time she had ever been frightened, but with any luck that would be the last time Ramsay would scare her. She had at least a little hope in that now that it seemed help had arrived.

"Well, just survive a little bit longer, my lady." Manderly said, hoping that he sounded reassuring. "Now take your leave of me, quickly. Ramsay is headed this way, pretend that you didn't notice him, and go directly to your rooms. Hopefully he won't think to question you about our conversation."

"Don't worry, I'm a convincing liar if it comes to that." Arya said with a small, polite smile. Then in a voice louder then she had previously used she said, "it was good speaking with you, my lord. I look forward to our next meeting." She had hoped that by saying those words, anyone within ear shot of her and Manderly would assume that they had just been trading pleasantries and that their conversation was inconsequential. She offered him a small curtsy then turned to leave. Thankfully she made it out of the main hall without having to talk to Ramsay. However, once she was halfway up the staircase room, and her guards not far behind, she was caught off guard by Petyr Baelish.

"Lady Arya, a word before you go to your room?" Baelish called to her from the bottom of the stairs. He noticed the way her back tensed when he called out to her.

Arya took a moment to compose herself, then turned around to look down at him. She offered him a false smile, "of course Lord Baelish." With that she swept down the stairs, past her guards and came to a stop once she stood before him. "What can I help you with, this evening?"

"I was wondering what Lord Manderly wanted to discus with you." Petyr said, he watched her carefully, wondering if her body language would give anything away. She had always been careful around him, but he knew that she wasn't infallible in hiding her reactions.

Arya narrowed her gaze, "not that it is any of your concern, but he simply wanted to know how I faired at Winterfell, and if people were being kind to me."

"And how did you answer him?" Petyr asked curiously, there was a hint of a warning in his tone.

She smiled at him sweetly. "I told him the truth of course." She waited a second or two before continuing. "That I was happy to be home."

"Good, because you know what would happen should you decide you no longer wish to honor our agreement, and you ask one of these Northern lords to help you break your betrothal." Petyr said shrewdly. "You haven't decided to go back on your promise Arya, have you? These past few weeks, I've been questioning your commitment."

Arya couldn't help but let out a snort of laugher, "_agreement, my promise, my commitment?_ Lord Baelish, you make it seem like I have a choice in the matter."

"You do, I just made sure I had the proper leverage to make you do what I want you to do." He said calmly.

"Yes, of course you do, you dangle Theon's safety in front of me regularly. Tell me, what did you plan on doing with him once I'm safely married off to Ramsay Bolton?" Arya asked, looking at him in curiosity. Her tone was light, flippant almost, leading him to question again if she knew the truth about Theon's whereabouts.

"Lord Ramsay wishes for him to be brought to Winterfell." Petyr said coldly, "perhaps I will fulfill that request."

She raised an eyebrow at this threat. She knew his words were empty, and she wondered what Baelish would tell Ramsay when he could not deliver Theon Greyjoy. She wanted to press the issue, but she knew she had to be more careful then ever. She could not let on that she knew for certain that Theon was safe, it might disrupt any plans that Manderly and her friends might have. "But if I behave myself, you won't?"

"I don't see the need as long as you fulfill you promises to me." Petyr said.

"And if you kept him it would guarantee my _loyalty_ to you should something happen to the Boltons. It seems you have all your options covered, Lord Baelish." Arya said this and then let out a resigned sigh. "You have nothing to worry about, I know what I must do."

"Good girl." He said with a satisfied smirk. He watched as she made a move to leave, and then he cleared his throat. "That boy, the one that escorted you to Lord Manderly, do you know who he was?"

Arya stopped suddenly, she could feel her heart begin to quicken in fear, of course Lord Baelish would know who Podrick was. She kept her face neutral. "I suspect he was one of the servants that Lord Manderly brought with him."

"That was no mere serving boy," Baelish said, "that was Podrick Payne, he squired for Tyrion Lannister."

Arya lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "He probably fled King's Landing when the Imp was arrested. I can't imagine life at court would have been pleasant for him if he had stayed. Being the squire of a Kingslayer would be a bit uncomfortable. Maybe he thought the North safer, and offered his services to Lord Manderly, perhaps he's Manderly's squire now. Serving the fat man would probably be just as easy as serving the dwarf. You could always ask Lord Manderly."

"It's just curious, your sister's husband's squire just happens to show up at Winterfell." Petyr said easily.

Arya raised her eyebrows, "do you think the Imp is here then? Maybe he took Sansa back when we were at Runestone, perhaps he's going to help her take back Winterfell." She couldn't keep the hint of mockery from her tone. "I doubt there is anything sinister going on here, Lord Baelish, that boy seemed out of his depth in just escorting me to Lord Manderly. I can't see him being part of some larger plot. Not everyone is as cunning as you Lord Baelish."

"Hmm, I have no doubt that you're right." Petyr said after he appeared to give her words some thought.

"Now, if there was nothing more, my lord," Arya said, "I'm getting tired."

"Yes, of course, good night, Lady Arya." Petyr said.

"Good night, Lord Baelish." With that Arya was finally able to escape everyone except for her guards, and they remained silent. As she made her way to her room, she realized that Petyr Baelish would not let the Podrick issue go. He would investigate further. Arya knew Brienne was smart enough to have thought of the possibility of Pod being recognized by Petyr Baelish and to have come up with a good story as to why Podrick would be at Winterfell. Even still, she knew she would have to warn the two of them of Petyr's interest.

Once she reached the relative safety of her room, she closed the door to the outside world, she let out a sigh of relief. She leaned back against her door, with her eyes closed just taking in the restful silence and relishing in the fact that when she was alone she could stop lying and pretending to be something she was not. After a few moments of peace, she opened her eyes and crossed over to the lone window. Tentatively, she opened it to the cold night air. She took a few deep breaths, and the fresh air seemed to rejuvenate her, despite the fact that it made her shiver. She couldn't help but wonder if the snow would fall soon. She was just about to close the windows when off in the distance she heard a lone wolf howl. Her breath hitched, because in her heart she knew that it was Nymeria. A real smile graced her lips and she was able to force her fears and worries aside for just a few moments. For just a brief bit of time she allowed herself to think that maybe everything really would be okay.

—

The next day, after the midday meal, she stole away into her chambers again. While she would not be able to see Brienne and Podrick directly enter the crypts, she would at least be able to see when they started to make their way towards them from her window. As the time for the reunion with Brienne and Pod drew near, a nervous anticipation settled within her being. She was excited to see both of them again. She had so many questions to ask them. She wanted to know what had happened after Littlefinger had taken her, she wanted to know if they had some sort of plan to get her away from this hell that she was living in, and most importantly she wanted to know about Theon, Sansa, and Olyvar. Were they really safe? But all through her excitement, there was that underlying worry. She was afraid that Roose or Ramsay might find out about her connection to the two of them, that they would some how keep her from meeting with her friends.

All while she waited to spot Brienne and Pod from her window, she expected Ramsay to knock at her door with some reason for the two of them to spend some _quality _time together, making her miss her the secret meeting. She knew it was needless to worry about it, during their midday meal a man had come to Ramsay claiming that Lord Manderly wished an audience with him and his father after they were done eating. Arya had supposed that was Manderly making sure Ramsay and Roose were kept busy while she talked with Brienne and Pod. All she really had to worry about was Littlefinger, and so far she had not spotted him all day.

Thankfully she didn't have to be in her room alone with her worries for long. It had maybe been ten minutes before she spotted the tall form of Brienne and the shorter one of Podrick. She smiled to herself as she watched them hurry in the direction of the crypts. She had to prevent herself from racing after them. She could not draw attention to herself, and she could not risk anyone else noticing that Brienne and Podrick were heading towards the crypts, a place that most people seemed to know she frequented. So she waited another five minutes before she gathered her cloak and opened the door.

The guards that waited for her saw that she had her cloak. "To the crypts again, my lady?" Asked one guard, voice full of boredom. "Or will it be the godswood?"

"I don't know, perhaps I'll just wander the grounds today," she said offhandedly, then promptly ignored them as she started down the hall, the guards followed easily behind her. She made sure to take the long way to get to her destination, making it seem like she was wandering aimlessly. Hopefully by the time she reached the crypts, it would seem like she had randomly chosen to go there after finding no better place to visit.

Her pace was slow, once she made her way outside. She let her eyes roam around as she walked along, not really paying attention to anything, but pretending to be lost within her own thoughts. It wasn't long before she found herself just outside the kennels. Where she lingered longer than she intended, her mind had flickered back to earlier, happier times, when those kennels had been filled with Stark hounds, and eventually the dire wolves. She frowned at the loud, angry barking that now came from those same kennels. The Botlons hunting dogs seemed to have been trained to be needlessly brutal and mean.

"They're especially restless today." It was a woman's voice that interrupted her thoughts, and Arya turned to look at who had approached her. It was rare that anyone talked to her outside of the Boltons, Littlefinger, and her guards. Even the Northern lords tended to stay away from her. It was a young woman, not much older than Arya. "I think they sense a predator nearby. I could have sworn I heard wolves howling last night. They seemed very close to the keep."

Arya kept her eyes on the girl suspiciously. The girl was familiar to her, she had seen her around Winterfell, often times within Ramsay's company. Arya had gotten the distinct impression that the girl was more to him than a mere servant girl. That alone set Arya on edge, anyone who would willingly enter that sadistic bastard's bed was no one to underestimate. "That is not surprising," Arya finally said, "wolves are not exactly sparse in these lands. They usually leave well enough alone, but Winter is coming," Arya lifted her shoulders in a disinterested shrug, then turned her attention back to the caged hounds. Hopefully this girl would take the hint and leave her alone, "they'll follow where the food goes, even if that's near the more populated keep."

"I suppose you're right, you know the area better than I," the girl replied, skipped a beat, and then continued, "are you happy to be home, my lady?"

Apparently the girl did not take the hint. "Yes, I'm very pleased to be back here," even Arya could tell that her own voice lacked any conviction in the answer. She looked back to the girl, "look, I'm very sorry…" she trailed off realizing that she did not know the serving girl's name.

"Myranda, my lady, I'm the kennel master's daughter," the girl supplied easily.

Well that at least explained the girls interest in the dogs. "Right, Myranda, I'm very sorry but, I'd really much rather be alone, so if you'll excuse me," she offered the girl what she hoped to be an apologetic smile, and then started to slowly walk away.

Before Arya could get very far, Myranda called out to her, "you'll never be able to escape, you know." Her tone was conversational.

Arya stopped walking. Had Ramsay discovered who Brienne and Pod were to her? Had he figured out that they were there for her? That she was now actively looking for a way out of Winterfell? Had he sent this woman here to confront her as some sort of trap? Slowly she turned around to face Myranda, she was careful to keep her expression neutral. "Excuse me?"

Myranda however, could not keep her emotions hidden, she wore her feelings plainly on her face. There was jealousy in her eyes, and Arya realized that this woman was in love with Ramsay and saw Arya as a threat. For some reason, this seemed to amuse Arya to the point that she let one corner of her mouth curve upward in a small smile. Myranda saw this only and allowd annoyance creep into her tone when she spoke. "You cannot escape. Even if you did manage to slip away from your guards," she gestured to the two armed men who followed Arya, "and you were able to leave the walls of Winterfell, Ramsay would find you." Then she gestured to the kennels, "it's what they're trained to do. They hunt."

It had suddenly become clear, Myranda knew nothing of the hope Arya had put in Brienne and Podrick to help her escape the Boltons. The woman was simply being petty, she was trying to frighten Arya. It might have worked, if Arya scared easily. Instead Arya simply found the attempt clumsy at best. No wonder Ramsay and this Myranda were attracted to each other. They liked instilling fear into people. Unfortunately, for Myranda, Ramsay was better at it. Arya wasn't threatened by this girl at all. "Hunt?" Was the only word that left Arya's lips.

"Yes." Myranda offered her a small smile as she took a step closer to Arya. "Didn't you ever wonder why all the dogs have names that were more suited for women? You see, whenever Ramsay grows bored, he releases a woman into the woods. He gives them a fair head start, and then he releases his hounds. If the girl gives him good sport, he has his fun with her, then kills her quickly. Then to honor the girl, he names a new hound after her. The ones that don't please him, well…their death is a little more painful."

The story Myranda wove was revolting and it sounded exactly like something Ramsay would do. Arya did not doubt that the girl was telling the truth and it disgusted her. But it did not scare her. In fact, Myranda had given her a key piece of information, she now knew what these dogs were used for, and she would have to figure out a way render them useless should shse make an escape attempt.

For a few seconds, Arya just stared coldly at the silly girl who thought she could frighten a Stark. Finally in a frosty voice, Arya said, "I should thank you for your _warning_, however it was unnecessary. I am after all marrying Ramsay." Arya put on a false smile. "Don't think that I don't know what kind of monster he is, and let me assure you that what you have shared with me, doesn't frighten me in the least. Let me also be clear, I'm not blind. I've seen you with him, and from your expression right now I can tell that you think yourself in love with him." She let the disgust drip from her voice. "To be perfectly honest with you, I don't care who you spend your nights with, nor do I care who Ramsay chooses to bed. The only feelings I have for him are disdain." And perhaps a little fear, but she wasn't about to tell Myranda that. "So let me reassure you, you have nothing to fear from me if you think I want to steal his affections from you. He's all yours. But allow me to issue a warning of my own, he does seem to get bored easily. I would be careful if I were you, you never know when he might want a new hound. Her name just might become Myranda."

With that said Arya turned on her heal and walked away from the girl without waiting to see the reaction. Stopping to talk to Myranda had made her a few minutes late for the meeting with Brienne and Pod. She didn't have time to play the game the girl so obviously wanted to play, so she put an end to it quickly. She had no doubt that Ramsay would probably hear about what she had said to the girl, but she doubted there would be any consequences, he would probably find the whole story amusing.

This time she started on a more direct route to the crypts. "I need a few minutes alone, I hope you don't mind, we're going to the crypts." She called gently back to her guards. It wouldn't seem too suspicious, her wanting to go there to clear her mind after the confrontation with Myranda, or at least she thought her guards might understand. They said nothing. They just continued to follow her until the reached the threshold that led into the crypts. There they took there usual spots on either side of the doors, while she descended into the darkness.

It didn't take her long to climb down the steps, lantern in hand. When she reached the bottom, she looked around frantically for her friends. She hissed in a loud whisper, "Brienne, Pod!"

There was a faint rustling behind one of the ancient Stark statues and she held up her lantern to see Pod and Brienne shuffle out from hiding. Brienne was the first to speak. "We put out are lantern and hid, just in case you weren't the one coming down the stairs." She explained.

Arya smiled up at the woman, and then cast a worried glance over her shoulder. "Come, it's best not to talk here. If we go deeper, we'll be less likely to be overheard by my guards, and we should be able hear anyone who might venture down here before they even realize that you are here with me." _Except for Ramsay, she hadn't heard him approach her the day before, he could be as quiet as a cat, _she thought. Quickly she pushed that thought from her mind, she could not worry herself about him at the moment. Instead she started to lead them down the long hall of Starks.

"We almost thought you weren't coming." Podrick said as they walked. "What took you so long?"

"I was stopped by one of Ramsay's friends, she seemed intent on scaring me. She was more of an annoyance than anything else."

"Does that happen often?" Brienne asked.

Arya shrugged her shoulders in indifference, "no. Mostly everyone leaves me alone. Littlefinger, Roose, and Ramsay are the only people who really pay attention to me. Roose and Littlefinger rarely bother me, except to remind me that I should be on my best behavior. Ramsay, he can be a bit more…_difficult._ He likes to see how far he can push me."

"Has he hurt you, my lady?" Podrick asked seriously.

Arya rolled her eyes at how he addressed her, and at his concern. "Not too badly, Pod." She paused a moment, than said, "have you already forgotten how to call me Arya?"

"Sorry, it's an old habit," Podrick said a bit sheepishly. Gods how she missed him, and Brienne.

Finally, she reached the statues of her Aunt, Uncle, and Grandfather. Arya put on her most serious face and turned to look at them. "Now tell me, where is Theon? Where has he taken Sansa and Olyvar? Are they okay?"

Podrick chuckled a little, then looked to Brienne so that she could explain. Brienne gave her a small, amused smile. "Theon is fine. He wanted to be the one to come here."

"It would have been stupid for him to come here." Arya interjected.

That earned another chuckle from Pod. "He eventually realized that."

"Sansa and Olyvar are with him, I'm sure they're keeping a close eye on him, should he decide to do something reckless." Brienne put in. She paused choosing her words for the next bit of news she had. "They went to the Last Hearth. You were correct in thinking your brothers are alive. Lord Manderly said that the Umbers claimed to have been keeping your youngest brother safe over the past several months. Theon and Sansa went to the Last Hearth to confirm that it really is Rickon. They'll be able to recognize him on sight."

That little bit of news made Arya's heart soar. "And Bran? What of him?"

"His whereabouts are a little more complicated." Pod said quietly "Bran and Rickon seemed to have parted ways."

"Oh." Arya said hollowly.

"That doesn't mean that he isn't alive, it could just mean that he took shelter else where. It would be best to split up the possible Stark heirs." Podrick tried to sound helpful.

"No, I know." Arya said, realizing that if she wanted to be productive, she could not worry about Bran's fate. "What will they do once they are certain it's Rickon?" She quickly changed the direction of the conversation.

"They go to the Wall." Brienne said, her voice bitter and upset. "They're going to offer their support to Stannis Baratheon as long as he promises to restore Winterfell to the Starks."

Arya looked at Brienne sharply, she knew the woman's past when it came to Stannis. "It's a smart move." She said quietly.

"I know that." Brienne snapped. "But I don't have to like it."

"Is that why you came here?" Arya asked quietly, "so you wouldn't have to face Stannis."

"Part of it." Podrick said. "We're also here to help you. And Manderly, he wants Wintefell ready for Stannis to take when the King marches South, he hopes we'll be able to help with that."

Brienne nodded her head, "but first and foremost we promised Theon that if there was a way to get you away from the Boltons that we would do it. We've been discussing possible ways in which to smuggle you out of Winterfell with Manderly. He says you're under almost constant guard."

"He's right, it will be difficult for me to slip away."

"We realize that." Brienne said with a sigh, "he also mentioned that Ramsay usually sends the guards away when he wished to spend time with you."

"Also true." Arya confirmed.

"Manderly does have a plan," Podrick said quietly. "But I don't think you'll like it.

Arya narrowed her eyes. "What is this plan?"

"You have to marry Lord Ramsay." Brienne said.

For a moment, Arya said nothing. Despair seemed to be creeping into her thoughts. How could they want her to actually go along with that plan? "I thought the whole point of this little meeting was to come up with a way for me _not _to marry him."

"It wouldn't be for long." Podrick said quickly. "And it will help ensure that Winterfell is restored to your family. It's all part of Manderly's big plan to take back the North and to show the Crown that the North does in fact remember. Ousting Roose from Winterfell will pretty much show the rest of Westeros that the North will back Stannis's claim."

"You're the only one who is able to get close to Ramsay." Brienne said, when she saw that Arya's expression showed that she wasn't convinced on how marrying Ramsay would help to do all that Pod had said. "When the two of you…_retire_… for the wedding night, he'll dismiss the guards. Even if he doesn't he'll make sure that the two of you will be behind closed doors when it comes to the actual bedding." Here Brienne paused, not sure how she should proceed. "I know killing someone isn't an easy thing to do, but…"

"Oh, I could kill him, if I had the chance." Arya said with certainty, it wouldn't be the first time she had killed a man. "The problem is, I am watched very closely. How in the Seven Hells will I get a weapon to do the deed? Or will it be poison? I'm not strong enough to overpower him with my bare hands. He probably suspects that if I had a chance to poison him I would take it, so he'll probably take precautions against that. He and Roose don't exactly trust me."

"We've thought of that," Podrick, said with a small smile. "We brought Needle with us. We'll find out which rooms Ramsay plans on using once the two of you are married, and we'll plant your sword within the room. Somewhere you'll be able to reach it quickly. Hopefully he won't even have a chance to touch you before you're armed. You'll have the element of surprise. It's dangerous, but it could work." He was confident in Arya's ability to carry out the plan, but he knew it carried huge risks.

"Once you and Ramsay leave the feast, Podrick and I will follow shortly after. We'll dispatch any guards that might be near the room the two of you are in. If you haven't killed Ramsay by the time we get there, we'll be able to help. Hopefully, everyone will be too distracted by celebrating your marriage at the feast to even realize what has happened. You know Winterfell, and all its secrets, we were hoping you could sneak us out of here so that no one catches us. Preferably by the Hunter's gate, that's where Manderly will have made sure his men will have taken care of any Bolton guards on duty. We'll be able to slip into the Wolfswood easily enough from there. We can lose ourselves in the trees, and make for the Wall." Brienne said.

"I know Winterfell well enough to sneak us out. But, I still don't understand how this helps Manderly prepare Winterfell for Stannis." Arya said.

"Once Ramsay is found dead, Manderly will use the chaos that follows over the next few days to make his move. Roose will probably send out search parties to look for you and whoever it was that helped you. Leaving even less of Bolton's men here to protect Winterfell. Roose will of course suspect some of the Northern lords of helping you, but he will have no proof. He'll want to find you first, so that you can give him the information on who it was that helped you. Manderly has rallied most of the Northern Lords to his cause. He thinks he has enough men to take the Frey and Bolton men that remain at Winterfell. With any luck Manderly's own guards will be near enough to take out Roose himself." Podrick said.

Arya frowned, "there's a lot that could go wrong. And everything seems to rely on me being able to kill Ramsay." She allowed herself to shudder, in her mind she still felt his fingers at her throat. "He's strong, and I don't know if I can do it." It was the first time she allowed herself to show her vulnerability.

Brienne and Podrick looked at one another. "Are you uncertain as to whether you can pull this off?" Brienne asked.

Arya let out a small sigh, "I'm not certain I can succeed."

"We can come up with another way." Podrick said tentatively.

"No." Arya said quietly. "Just because I'm not certain I can succeed, doesn't mean that I'm not willing to try. I'm just saying that if I fail, it's a guarantee that Roose will know that I had help. He'll look to the Northern lords. He already suspects them of being too protective of me. People will be _punished._ He won't let an attack on his son go unchecked."

"Any plan we come up with will have risks." Brienne said. "All the Northern lords know this, and are still willing to try."

Arya nodded her head slowly. "I guess we do this then." She paused, "wait, there might be one problem. Ramsay has dogs, especially vicious ones. They've been trained to hunt people. Roose might let the search parties use the hounds to track us. Or Ramsay might choose to keep one of his hounds close on the wedding night, just to make sure I don't try something. We have to find some way make sure they stay busy."

Brienne nodded, "I'll talk to Manderly and see if he has any suggestions."

"And Littlefinger recognized you Pod. He's suspicious about your reasons for being here. I think he might suspect you're here on Tyrion's behalf. You might want to watch yourself around him." Arya said.

Podrick let out a snort, "and here I thought I wouldn't be important enough for him to remember."

"You were close to Tyrion Lannister, of course he thought you were important enough." Arya said lowly.

"We'll be careful," Brienne said.

"You be careful too," Podrick said looking at Arya. "I've heard about some of the things that have happened to you since you got here."

"Don't worry, Pod, I can take care of myself." Arya said. "But we probably shouldn't stay down here too long, if I'm out of sight for a significant amount of time, Ramsay gets _worried."_

Brienne nodded her head to show that she understood. "Have they set a time for the wedding yet?"

Arya shook her head. "They're waiting on Lord Umber to arrive. Ramsay said the Greatjon was taking his time on arriving, but that he wouldn't be able to put it off for too much longer. We should have a little more time to put any finishing touches on this mad plan of Manderly's."

"Good, the more time we have to prepare the better." Podrick said. "You just have to hold on for a few more weeks, Arya."

Arya nodded her head to show that she could handle a few more weeks with the Boltons. It would be easier now, knowing that there was an end in sight. "I'll find a way to contact you if I need you for anything. I should go now. I'll leave first, obviously. Wait for at least fifteen minutes before you follow me out." Then without thinking she leaned over and gave Brienne an awkward hug, then she gave Podrick one as well. He seemed a little uncomfortable with the embrace, but that only made Arya smile. "You have no idea how happy I was when I saw you last night Pod. Or how happy I am that both of you are here right now."

—

_Gods, it's cold here_. That was the first thought that came to Theon's mind when they first spotted the Wall. The second was about just how formidable the the structure was. It was Theon's first time seeing it, and Sansa, Yara, and Olyvar seemed to be just as overwhelmed by it's shear size as he was. The four of them remained quiet and solemn, the Wall holding their attention, as their horses followed the Umber guards that had been sent with them. As they made their way towards Castle Black, they had noticed that the lands that surrounded the castle and the small village that was near the castle, Mole's Town, had been heavily populated with soldiers from Stannis's army. Eventually, they found their way to the busy gates of Castle Black.

The Brothers that stood at the gate gave them a curious glance, but managed to nod a greeting when they recognized the Umber men. Lord Umber was considered a friend to the Watch. "Strange group you're escorting." one of the Brothers casually said to the Umber men.

"Aye, you could say that." One of the Umber men answered. "Your Lord Commander Snow will be interested in them. You might want to tell him his sister, Sansa Stark, is here to see him."

Theon shared a look with Sansa. Had they said _Lord Commander Snow_? Jon Umber had failed to mention the fact that Jon Snow was now in command of the Night's Watch. It seemed Jon had done well for himself at the Wall. Theon wished Arya could have been there to see how far her base born brother had come. She would have been proud of him. He saw Sansa's small smile, it appeared she was proud of her brother too.

Then Theon's attention was caught by one of Umber's men who was motioning for the rest of them to pass through the gates and into the castle's court yard. There were several men training with weapons, most of them were either sworn brothers or recruits. The sword practice had stopped once the men realized they had other guests besides those that were part of Stannis's army. They watched as Theon and the others dismounted their horses and handed them over to the stable hands that had come to take care of the animals.

"They're staring." Sansa said nervously.

"They're just curious." Olyvar said trying to sound reassuring.

"Well, I wish they would be less obvious about their curiosity." Yara muttered. "I hope we don't have to wait too long for them to fetch the Lord Commander."

Almost as if on cue they heard a loud voice carry across the courtyard, "Sansa?" The four of them looked to where the voice had come from, and there stood Jon Snow, face scarred and looking far more mature than what Theon had remembered. "Is that really you?" His voice held a mixture of disbelief and hope.

That was all Sansa needed to make her break out into a brilliantly, bright smile. She forgot all her decorum and sprinted over to where Jon stood. She launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Theon blinked in surprise, this had not been the reunion he had thought it would be. It showed him just how much Sansa's family meant to her, even Jon Snow. For his part, Jon was also taken by surprise, and it took him a moment to regain his composure and return the hug from the sister he thought would never accept him.

"How come our relationship has never been that close," asked Yara drily.

"Because I barely know you, and you keep insisting I'm a traitor to our family." He gave her a small smile to show that he was just kidding. Then started to walk to where Jon and Sansa stood. He knew Olyvar and Yara wouldn't be far behind him. By time he got to where Jon and Sansa were, they had pulled away from each other. Sansa was still smiling wide, and Jon seemed just as happy.

"It's good to see you again, Jon." Theon said tentatively. The last conversation the two of them had was Jon warning him to stay away from Arya.

The look that Jon gave him wasn't exactly friendly, but it wasn't openly hostile either. "Theon," he said with a nod of his head. Then he looked to Olyvar and Yara curiously. Theon knew Jon would want introductions and of course that would mean telling him the whole story. Jon seemed to know that as well, then motioned for them to follow him. "Come, let us go talk somewhere a bit more privately."

"Perhaps we should also invite Stannis to join us." Theon said in a hushed voice. "It might save us a lot of time, he's part of the reason we're here."

"You think he can help you retrieve Arya from the Winterfell?" Jon asked curiously, his eyes narrowed at Theon. Of course he would have figured out Theon's true reason for being at the Wall.

"You know about that?" Theon asked with a frown.

"Of course I know about her betrothal to Ramsay, I do receive reports about what is happening in other parts of Westeros." Jon scoffed. "I expect you to give me a detailed explanation about how you let my sister get into the mess she now finds herself in."

"It's not his fault, Jon." Sansa came to Theon's defense. "Now come on, we have much to discuss, and plans to make."

Jon let out a small sigh and then nodded his head. "Alright, come on." Then he started to lead them to the tower that held his personal quarters. When he reached his rooms, he turned to a boy who couldn't have been that much older then Bran. "Olly, go see if you can find the King. Tell him Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy are here and wish to gain an audience with him. Tell him they await him in my quarters when he finds the time to see them."

They watched as the young boy scampered away to do Jon's bidding. Once he the boy was out of sight, Jon waved them into the place he called home. Once they were safely behind closed doors, Sansa made the introductions. Jon was, at first, a bit weary of both Olyvar and Yara, but Sansa managed to convince him to withhold his harsher judgments until he found out the entirety of their story. The story Jon would hear, just as soon as King Stannis decided he wanted to see Sansa and Theon.

The King seemed to think that it would be okay to make them wait, because he didn't make an appearance for what seemed like the better part of an hour. Theon did not hold it against the man, he knew the man had a lot on his mind, and he assumed the King would be busy making plans that involved him winning that damned Iron Throne. Just when he was about give up on the man for the day, there was a knock on the door and Jon bid the guest to enter. The boy, Olly, stepped inside and announced the King's arrival.

The stern looking man who swept into the room first, must have been the King himself. He was followed by a beautiful, graceful woman with dark red hair, her clothing was all red, and Theon couldn't help but wonder if this was the red priestess that was rumored to be pulling Stannis's strings. After her came an older, bearded man, who Theon figured to be some sort of advisor to the King.

"Lady Lannister, I presume." Stannis said to Sansa, who offered him a small curtsy. Of course he wouldn't call her a Stark, she had married Tyrion and that had made her a Lannister, even if she had been forced into the marriage. "It's good to see you well. We had all feared the worst." Stannis's eyes strayed to the others in the room, he looked between Theon and Olyvar. "And which one of you is Balon Greyjoy's heir."

"I am, Your Grace." Theon said respectfully.

"Why are you not with your father?" Stannis asked, "do you not support his claim to the Iron Islands?"

Theon let a small frown touch his lips, "I remained loyal to Robb Stark, Your Grace."

"Another usurper?" Stannis asked bluntly.

Before Theon could answer, Sansa spoke up. "Your Grace, perhaps my brother was in the wrong when he made his claim to the North," she didn't necessarily believe what she was saying, but she knew she should at least try to play peace maker if they were to gain Stannis's aide. "But if you would just listen to what we have to say, you will realize that we are on the same side."

Stannis gave her a shrewd look, and then simply nodded his head. "Very well. First allow me to introduce my advisors." He first motioned to the woman, "Melisandre, priestess of R'hllor." Then to the older man, "and Ser Davos Seaworth, my Hand."

After that Theon went on to introduce Yara and Olyvar. Then they all settled down to listen to Sansa and Theon tell their tales of what had happened to them over the last few months. They were interrupted a few times, both by Stannis and Jon, when they needed some clarification on a few points, but for the most part they had a captive audience. When the story was all told, the first person to say something was Stannis.

"Rickon Stark is still alive? You can confirm this? There is a male Stark heir?" He asked.

"Yes," Sansa said quietly. "I saw him myself. I know it was him."

"It seems you didn't need me after all, Your Grace." Jon said, with a small smile playing upon his lips. Sansa looked to him curiously, When he saw the question in her eyes he simply said, "King Stannis offered to legally make me a Stark and he offered me Winterfell. It seems certain Northern families were very reluctant to give their loyalty to anyone who wasn't a Stark."

"And he said no." Stannis said. "He kept his oath to the Night's Watch, and he was right to do so. Especially since it turns out that I do not need him. Perhaps the Mormonts will be appeased with Rickon Stark as Lord of Winterfell." He looked pointedly at Sansa, "and you say that if I restore the Starks to their former position, other Northern lords will fall in line."

"Some of the more powerful ones will, at least. The Manderly's, the Umbers, the Glovers for sure, and there are several smaller families that will as well." Sansa assured. "We have Lord Manderly's written words on the matter if you wish to see them."

"I would." Stannis said.

Sansa looked to Olyvar, he had been holding on to the letter that Lord Manderly had composed for Stannis. She needn't have worried, he was already ahead of her, pulling out the rolled piece of paper that he had stored away in a small traveling bag. He stood up and with a respectful bow, handed the letter to the King. Promptly, Stannis broke the seal and started to read.

It was at this moment that Melisandre chose to address both Theon and Yara. She had paid particularly close attention to the two of them throughout the whole conversation. "You are Balon Greyjoy's children, you have king's blood flowing within your veins."

"My father is not a king." Theon said, he was unsettled by the way she had looked at him and his sister. It was almost like she was assessing their worth.

It appeared that the man Stannis had declared as his Hand was also concerned about the attention Melisandre gave the two Greyjoy siblings. It was the first time Davos had spoken, and he spoke directly to the King, "these two Greyjoy children are a powerful asset to us. They say they will back your claim to the Throne. Perhaps they could broker a peace with their father, and even bring him to your cause. House Greyjoy could very well be the key to taking the Westerlands and the Riverlands when the time comes. Your navy will be busy on the Eastern shores of Westeros, perhaps Balon's raiding ships can harry the West."

Melisandre frowned at his words, and it only deepened when Stannis had readily agreed to what Davos had said. "That had occurred to me as well." Stannis had said. He looked to where Yara and Theon sat, "do you believe you can convince your father to set aside his foolish rebellion?"

Yara seemed hesitant to answer, it still felt wrong to want her father to give up on the dream he had, of a another Ironborn empire, but she knew that those dreams could not be realized. If she wanted to protect the Iron Islands, she knew she had to make her father see reason. Finally she said, "I can try."

Stannis looked to Theon to see what he had to say. Theon snorted a laugh. "I doubt he'll listen to anything that I have to say, but the least I can do is back up my sister when the time comes to talk with him about bending the knee to you."

"And if I have to remove Balon Greyjoy from Pyke, will the Ironborn follow you if I have to make you Lord of Pyke?" Stannis asked.

This time it was Yara's turn to laugh and she answered for Theon. "I doubt they will. They probably don't consider him Ironborn at all. He spent most of his life with the wolves. My people would probably think him a proper Westori lord." She smirked at the irritated look Theon had given her. "But if it actually came to you having to forcibly remove my father from power, which I doubt that it will, I would support Theon's claim to Pyke. The people know me, and they would follow my lead."

"Thank you for that, dear sister." Theon muttered sarcastically.

"Then I expect the two of you to leave for Pyke as soon as possible." Stannis said.

"No." Theon said firmly.

Stannis looked at him, seemingly annoyed by the fact that someone had actually denied his command.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace," Theon said, this time a little more respectfully. "I will not leave for the Iron Islands until Winterfell has been liberated and Arya Stark is safely away from the Boltons. The Umbers have left the Last Hearth for Winterfell to attend Arya's wedding to Bolton's bastard son. He made sure to tell us, to tell you that most of his men-at-arms will be going with. Roose Bolton has requested men to help defend Winterfell form you. Bolton is counting on the Umbers remaining loyal to him. Greatjon only left enough men at the Last Hearth to defend the keep. He purposefully made sure there wouldn't be enough men to challenge you on the King's Road if you chose to march South soon. Now would be the time to go, Your Grace. The path there will be clear, and Manderly said he would work from within to make sure that the keep would be ready for the taking when you finally arrive at Winterfell's walls. I would like to go with you when you march. When you have Winterfell, and you've restored the Starks to their rightful place, then I'll go to Pyke."

Stannis studied Theon carefully. It seemed like a fair request, and he supposed Balon Greyjoy's support wouldn't matter until he was ready to move his army South of the Neck. He could allow this one request that Theon had made. Finally, he gave a curt nod, "very well." He looked to Davos, "have the men start to prepare for the march. We leave within a fortnight." With that Stannis stood and without so much as a 'good day' he stalked out of the room.

—

**Author's Note**

To Lord of Carrion: I love Stannis, too. I've hated why the show had done to him. I would love to see him on the throne…

To ATP: I have serious issues with some of what happened in the show this past season. Stannis and Selmy dying are just some of them. But you're probably right, with the actors it's a cost issue, the cast is already huge. I myself am not going to deal with Balon's brothers at least in this story, mostly because I think this story is massive enough and I think it's time to start wrapping it up in the next few chapters. Adding the Ironborn book plot would make it go on even longer.

To Narutoske: Thanks you so much for the review. Unfortunately, I don't think Ramsay will have a chance to truly break Arya. I find the scenes I have to write with him are difficult, and challenging. But in a good way, I'm forcing myself out of my comfort zone. And writing them has made me wonder if I can go further then just the small stuff that his happening to her now. I've started playing around with some ideas for another story where Ramsay actually does get his hands on her much sooner and much longer. And her spirit does break. It would be a difficult story to write. But it's one of the possibilities of what my next story would be.

To rainjae04: Reviews like yours make my heart soar! I'm so happy you gave my story a shot. It took me a couple of rereads of the books, watching Alfie Allen's portrayal of Theon, and listening how the actor interprets Theon's character for me to really appreciate him. I think he's one of the most misunderstood characters of the series. (And seriously, doesn't everyone want to punch the Boltons in their faces?)

To BlueSkyye: Thank you! Twenty-nine chapters to binge on is a lot! It warms my heart to know that you enjoyed the story so far. And everything you said in your review was such a confidence boaster for me. Sometimes a writer really needs to hear those things, so thank you again, so much. I hope you continue to enjoy it.


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, sorry for the delay on this chapter. I know this is a short one by my standards, and I'm sorry about that too. I'm kind of considering this chapter an author's note with a bonus scene for the story. I felt bad about not getting an update in over two weeks, and I was originally going to slip this scene in with the next big chapter (which with luck will be up this weekend) but I kind of wanted the next chapter to stand by itself. This is not a super important scene, but I wanted to write another little scene with Jon and Theon interacting. Alright, now on to an explanation about my absence. The last two weeks have been super busy. As luck would have it I went to GenCon and as it it turns out, four days of gaming, going to authors panels and then meeting some of my favorite authors takes a lot out of me. I spent the last week four days recovering! But I learned a lot, and hopefully it will help my writing. I've also been working on some original work, which I may or may not put out on FictionPress if anyone is interested I'll let them know what I decide. And I have been working on outlines for possible future fanfics. I just wanted to let all of the people who like and follow this story to know, I have not abandoned it and a major chapter will be coming soon in the next couple of days. Again, I'm sorry, and please bear with me, I will work hard to get the next part of the story up soon.

**Chapter 31**

Theon had been looking for Jon. Since he had arrived at Castle Black with the others, he had not found time to talk one on one with the Lord Commander of the Night's watch and now in just a few hours, Theon would be marching for Winterfell with Stannis and his army. It wasn't that Theon felt a particular need to talk to Jon Snow, in fact he had been avoiding him up until now, they had never been the closest of friends during their childhood in Winterfell. Theon doubted that would change, no matter how Theon felt about Jon's youngest sister. Which is why he kept his distance, and it wasn't hard to do, Jon hadn't felt obligated to spend time with Theon either. Also, Jon's duty to the Watch had kept him busy and pointedly away from Theon Greyjoy, any free time he did have was spent with Sansa, making up for lost time.

However now Theon sought him out. Make no mistake, there was no sentimental motive for Theon to find Jon. It wasn't that he was going to offer the man apologies for how he had treated Jon when they were younger, and he doubted Jon would even accept them. No, Theon was seeking Jon out to tell him how stupid he was being. It was just that morning he had heard of Jon's plans to go North of the Wall with one of the Wildings they had captured when Mance Rayder made his attempt to have the Wildings breech the the northern lands of Westeros. He had heard whisperings that Jon was actually going to allow the Wildings to cross over onto this side of the Wall. It all sounded very dangerous, and Theon owed it to Arya to at least tell Jon that he was being stupid. He doubted he would be able to talk Jon out of it.

The only thing was, he couldn't seem to find Jon. As Theon walked through the courtyard, he could feel the tension of those Brothers of the Night's Watch that were unhappy with Jon's leadership. His choice to help the Wildings was not a popular one. Finally Theon spotted the round figure of one of Jon's more vocal supporters. Theon thought the man's name was Samwell, and he stood with a Wilding girl who held a baby in her arms. Theon quietly made his way to where the couple stood. He cleared his throat in order to get their attention.

Once the two looked over to where he stood, Theon simply asked, "do you know where Jon is?"

"I think he's at the top of the wall," was Sam's easy response. "I can take you to him, if you'd like."

Theon just nodded his head. It took a moment for Samwell to say his goodbyes to the Wilding woman. Theon had caught her name, Gilly, as Sam parted from her. Then he offered Theon a friendly smile and gestured for Theon to follow him to the lift that would take them to the top of the Wall. Once they reached the cage and Samegave the order for them to be lifted to the top, Theon settled in for the long ride. It would take several minutes for them to reach their destination, or so he had been told, it had been Theon's first time to the top. He tightened his cloak around him, he knew the higher they got the colder the winds would blow, and he tried not to think too much about the ground below as he moved further and further away from it.

Sam must have realized the small discomfort in Theon's demeanor, and thought maybe a little friendly conversation would be distracting. "Is this your first time going to the top?"

"Aye," Theon said with a small nod of his head.

"I wasn't much for heights when I first came here, you get used to it after awhile." Sam said.

Theon managed a weak smile, "I'm afraid I won't have time to get used to it."

"That's right, you're leaving today." Sam said. "You march with Stannis on Winterfell. You were a ward to the Starks, were you not? Winterfell must be like home to you. Are looking for Jon to say your goodbyes? I'm sure you consider yourself brothers."

Theon couldn't help but snort at that innocent comment. "Jon and I grew up together, that's true enough."

Sam gave him a sideways glance. "You didn't get along, I take it?"

"I used to think I was above him, him being born a bastard and all, and I treated him as such." Theon said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"And that's changed now?" Sam asked.

Theon shifted his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. This was a topic he wasn't sure he felt like discussing with a stranger. "I suppose it has. I've grown up, a lot, since the last time I saw him. I don't think I'll ever get along with him, there has been too much bad blood between us."

"But you can respect him." Sam said almost as if he were reading Theon's thoughts. He couldn't of course, but he was smart, "and you love the Starks, and they are your family. Even if Jon is baseborn, you still consider him to be one of them."

"I'm not a Stark." Theon muttered stubbornly, he didn't like that this Sam seemed to read him like a book.

"I never said you were, but they are your family." Sam said with a shrug and a smile. "Your birth doesn't dictate who your family is, I should know that better than anybody." The smile seemed to die upon his lips.

For a brief second, Theon said nothing, wondering what Sam's story had been. Finally, he nodded his head, realizing that Sam was right, he might not like Jon, but deep down Theon considered him family, the same as he had Robb. Years ago he would have denied it. Seven hells, years ago those words wouldn't have even been true. It was true that Robb had always been like a brother to him, and Eddard Stark had been _almost _ like a second father to him. The other Starks were always there, seemingly not as important as the other two until his attention shifted to Arya. Then as his feelings for Arya grew, he must have let the rest of the Starks enter that small circle of people he cared about, and gods be damned but Jon Snow was right there with them, all because Arya loved Jon. "I think you might have a point Sam. We don't have to tell Jon about this though, do we?"

Sam chuckled, "I won't say a word to him." The conversation lulled and then he looked up to see how much longer it would be until they reached the top. "We're almost there." He commented off-handedly.

Theon looked up and saw that it was true. For the rest of their ride, they were quiet, having run out of things to say to each other and it wasn't long before the cage they rode came to a stop. The gate was opened and they stepped out onto the top of the wall. Sam conferred with one of the Brothers who had stood watch near the lift. Theon noticed that the brother motioned in one direction, and had figured that was the direction in which the Lord Commander was. He was proven right when Sam waved him over and started to lead him in that direction. It didn't take long before they had found Jon conferring with another Brother. Jon noticed them and seemingly dismissed the man he was talking to.

Sam offered Theon one last friendly smile. "I doubt I'll be talking to you again Lord Theon, so I'll make my goodbyes now."

"Goodbye, Sam," Theon said with a faint smile of his own and then turned to where Jon stood as Sam started to walk with the man that Jon had been talking with. Jon was now looking North, his brow furrowed in a worry that Theon hadn't noticed before. Theon moved to stand next to him. For a moment neither of them said anything. Finally Theon spoke. "I heard about this mad plan of yours."

"It's not mad." Jon murmured, neither of them turned to look at each other while they talked. "It's necessary."

"Why?" Theon asked. "Why is it necessary that you go to this Hardhome, isn't that where whatever is left of Mance Rayder's people are holed up. I doubt they'll be very friendly, especially to a handful of men from the Night's Watch. Isn't your purpose here on the Wall to fight them, to make sure they stay on their side of it. They'll kill you, and if they don't, you'll invite them to invade the lands your father had sworn to protect. How is this not madness?"

Jon sighed, as if he was about to repeat the same argument he had already had, either with himself or with others of the Watch. "We are protectors of the realms of men, Theon, and the Free Folk are men, just the same as us. It's our duty to protect them too. Those stories of White Walkers we heard as children, the stories that were meant to scare us, they are true." This time he did look at Theon. "Winter is coming, and if we don't protect those who live on the other side of this Wall, they will die."

"And you've seen these Others?" Theon asked, incredulously. Even after he had heard Osha's stories, and had heard of the desperation the Wildings had in fleeing their own lands so that they could follow Mance South of the Wall, it was hard for him to believe in things that he had always been told didn't exist. It was easier for him to believe that Wildings wanted to invade the lands South of the Wall, and it wasn't nearly as terrifying.

"No, I haven't seen _them_, but Sam _has. _He's even killed one." Jon said. "And I've seen other things, men who were thought to be dead, walking around as if they were alive. I even saved Lord Commander Mormont from a wight. They are coming, along with the Others, and those Wildings you're so worried about, they can help us fight. The Watch doesn't have the men to defend Westeros, we need them. Stannis understands that, and you should too."

Theon mulled over Jon's words. It was hard for him to believe that the friendly, fat man who had helped him find Jon had managed to kill a thing that Theon had thought resided only in nightmares, but it seemed that Jon trusted this Sam's word. Jon also seemed _scared_. Maybe, if Theon was completely honest with himself, he was scared too. Theon let out a resigned sigh. "If Stannis does understand this, why is he moving South?" Not that Theon minded, Stannis taking Winterfell meant that Arya would eventually be safe. But what good would her being safe from the Boltons only to have face whatever it was that was North of the Wall? "It seems to me his army would be better served here."

Jon shrugged, "Westeros is still unsettled. You know as well as I do that the Northern lords aren't going to stay loyal to the Boltons, and the Crown doesn't care about what goes on up here. I've tried to appeal for their help, I've asked them to send men. But much of the land is still recovering from the war and most Southroners simply cannot bring themselves to believe in the realities of the White Walkers. They probably won't be able to until it is too late. If Stannis can take the throne before Winter truly arrives, he'll be able to be in a better position to help the Watch."

"Then he better hurry." Theon had a feeling that Stannis might be running out of time and he saw Jon nod his head in agreement. After a moment, he finally asked, "and does the Night Watch know how to fight these things?"

"Fire can stop a wight, at least that's how I stopped the one that went after Mormont. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to burn the dead after the battle for Winterfell. I told Stannis, but it wouldn't hurt for you to know that either." There was another short pause, before he started talking again, "as for the White Walkers, Sam said that steel would do nothing against them, that it shatters. He used dragonglass to kill the one he encountered."

"Dragonglass? Obsidian?" Theon questioned, it seemed a strange choice for weapon, he had always thought it was too brittle, too easy to break. But Jon just nodded his head to show that what he had told Theon was the truth. "And you're going to arm your Watch with dragonglass weapons? You're going to arm the Wildings with them too? Where are you going to get these weapons?"

"We've recovered some weapons." Jon said quietly, "and Stannis says that there are large deposits of obsidian on Dragonstone. Another reason for him to make his move South, I suppose."

The conversation stalled after it seemed that they had discussed all they could on the topic of White Walkers and wights. They both looked out upon the Northern side of the Wall, both contemplating the tasks that they were about to undertake. It was Theon who spoke up after several moments of silence. "And you _have _to be the one to go to Hardhome to recruit the Wildings? It sounds like you'd be walking into your death. Just because you have good intentions doesn't mean that the Wildings will listen to your pleas for help and your offer for safe haven."

The two men hadn't taken their eyes from the Northern terrain. "Aye, Tormond," Jon paused here and then realized that Theon probably didn't even know who Tormand Giantsbane was, "he's the man we captured during the battle for the Wall, he's not so much the leader of the Wildings, but he's someone they might listen to. He says it has to be me that goes." Jon paused, and this time he did turn to look at Theon when he spoke. "I hadn't realized you cared about my safety."

Theon glanced at Jon sideways, "I never said I did." He promptly said, but he hadn't said that he didn't care either, and both of them noted that fact. But neither of them said anything about it. Then Theon added, "but Arya does and she would be upset with me if I didn't at least try to stop you from doing something stupid."

Jon allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips. "Well, you can tell her you tried, and failed."

"Just be careful while you're out there." Theon's eyes narrowed slightly. "All you Starks are too damn stubborn for your own good." The name slipped from his lips before he even realized he had said it. In the past Theon always liked to remind Jon that he was indeed a bastard, Arya must have been affecting his way of thinking more than he thought. But then, he really couldn't deny that Jon had Stark blood flowing in his veins.

Jon stared at him for several long seconds, his eyes showed only a hint of surprise at what Theon had said, but said nothing about the other man's mistake. Theon had been grateful for that much at least. Instead Jon just nodded his head at Theon's statement. Then when he opened his mouth he simply said, "you be careful too Greyjoy."

Theon raised an eyebrow, a small smirk touched his lips, "I hadn't realized you cared about my safety."

"I never said I did." Jon said with a smirk of his own, "but Arya does."

With that answer Theon let out a snort of laughter. "Look at what that girl has done to us. We're almost getting along."

"It's strange, I know." Jon agreed, then set the moment of joking aside. "Just make sure you get her away from those people, those _Boltons, _Theon." His tone was filled with worry. "And after that, you keep her safe, or you really will have to answer to me."

"I will, I can swear that to you." Theon said just as seriously.

With that said, Jon nodded his head, satisfied with Theon's oath. If there was one thing that was clear to him now, after talking with Theon and Sansa, it was that Theon loved Arya and that he would do just about anything to keep his sister safe. Then, much to even his own surprise, Jon offered Theon his hand. Theon took it with just as much surprise and shook it firmly. The two may never actually _like_ each other, but at least they had come to some sort of understanding. They would even go so far as to say they respected each other. Then without another word to each other, they both started for the lift that would return them to the ground. It was almost time for Theon to leave with Stannis.

**Author's Note**

To Lord of Carrion: Manderly is awesome! I wish the writers of the show had decided to utilize the character. I do believe that Stannis will have more supporters before this particular story is through too, or at least the promise of more support. I'll probably be writing some add on stories to this one that will go more into what happens after Theon and Arya's major part of the story is over. Those will probably revolve a lot more on the politics of the Kingdoms. Just know, I love Stannis. (Well…book Stannis… and pre-second half of Season 5 Stannis)

To Forever-Bucksin: I hate the little brat too! Thank you,

To Blue Skyye: Again…thank you very, very much! You'll be getting some answers about what happens with Arya and Theon in the next chapter, I promise! And what happens at Winterfell.

To ATP: Again, I cannot say how much your compliments mean to me. It makes me think I'm doing something right, and I'll continue to try not to disappoint.

To Prince of Leaves: Thank you so much. I hadn't thought too much about Arya and Theon until about a year ago, and then for some reason the thought of the two of them together entered my mind and it just wouldn't leave. I hadn't found too many fics about the two of them, so I figured I should write my own. Thanks for giving my story a shot. And thanks for the review!

Narutoske: Ha! I would tell you what happens…but I don't want to ruin it for you. You'll find out soon, I promise! As for a Ramsay/Arya story…I've started an outline. It will not be my next story. I already know what that one will be. It's going to be another Arya/Theon one (shocker, I know) But it's going to be mostly fluff and really short. I need a break from the long involved plots so that I can finish up my outlines on my more involved ones.


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's note:** I have no excuse for the delay in this chapter, other than it was exhausting to write.

**Chapter 32**

Five days before Arya's wedding, to Ramsay Bolton, was to take place Lord Umber came to Winterfell. His arrival had prompted Arya to start an inner countdown as to when the whole, hellish ordeal would be over with. In five days time, she would either be free of the family who had been partly responsible for the distrurction of her own family, or she would be utterly at their mercy, and Arya knew for certain that Boltons and mercy didn't go together. At least soon the waiting would be over.

Four days before the wedding, Lord Petyr Baelish suddenly had to quit Winterfell. At first Arya had been concerned at his abrupt departure. Had Littlefinger suspected what some of the Northern Lords were planning? Did he leave Winterfell to keep himself safe? Had he told Roose Bolton of any suspicions he may have had? Her worry was put to rest when she had overheard Roose talking to Ramsay at dinner on the same day that Baelish left. Apparently the Lord of the Vale had gotten restless. It seemed Lord Royce had succeeded in gaining enough support to actively seek a way to break Baelish's hold on the Vale. Littlefinger had rushed away to try and repair any damage that may have been done. Roose had mentioned something about Petyr frantically writing to the Crown asking for support. Arya wondered if Baelish would get the help he sought, hadn't Roose done the same thing, asking for help in the North? And hadn't he been promptly ignored?

After finding out the truth about Baelish's departure, Arya allowed herself to breathe a little easier. He was the one person she feared could figure out what Manderly was planning, what she herself was planning. For a brief moment she had wondered why he hadn't said his good byes to her. She would have thought that he would have wanted warn her to behave. He had threatened her so often in the past few weeks that it seemed uncharacteristic of him to not give her one final warning. But then it hit her, he _did_ suspect that something was going to happen at Winterfell, and it was going to happen soon. The rat had made sure that he would be long out of Winterfell before anything bad could happen to _him._ He had already suspected that Arya knew he didn't have Theon or Sansa, and when Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne showed up unexpectedly, he must have realized that things were starting to spiral out of his control in the North. He didn't particularly care about what happened to the Boltons, the only thing he cared about was his own survival. So, he left. The problems in the Vale were a convenient excuse for him to leave before Arya married Ramsay. She had no doubt that he had plans to quell any revolt Lord Royce might start before it could even begin. She hoped that Lord Yohn would be able to counter anything Lord Baelish tried against him.

Whatever worry she had for Lord Royce, it quickly dissipated from her mind, she had her own concerns. On the third day leading up to her wedding, Arya found herself once more in the crypts, going through last minute plans with Brienne and Pod about her wedding night with Ramsay. They had decided to hide her Needle in the easiest of places. Arya had rolled her eyes at the simplicity of the hiding spot, but understood that there weren't that many options. Pod was going to sneak in the room that she would share with Ramsay (she had casually asked Ramsay which room they would be sharing on the night of their wedding and he had gleefully told her it would be the room that her parents had once shared). While in the room Pod would hide the sword under the bed of all places. It would be an easy place for her to reach, while at the same time, a servant would be less likely to accidently run across Needle when they were preparing the room for her and her groom.

That was also the day fear and doubt started to creep into Arya's thoughts. By the time she went to ready herself for bed that night, she was fairly certain that the plan would not succeed.

On the morning that marked two days before her wedding, it had started snowing…heavily. Arya took it as an omen that meant she was doomed to fail in killing Ramsay and she would be forced live the rest of what would probably be a very short, miserable life, with a cruel, disgusting man. She vowed that it would not come to that. If Manderly's plan did not succeed, and she failed she would find another way to leave Winterfell. Brienne and Pod had seemed fairly certain that Theon was on his way, and that he would be bringing help. However, she wasn't certain help would arrive before Ramsay would be able to have his way with her, and that terrified her. Those were the thoughts that plagued her as the snow fell for most of that day, and far into that night. As the wind howled at her window, and she shivered under her blankets, she found sleep hard to come by.

One day before her wedding, Arya awoke with a pale face and dark circles around her eyes. But she wore a determined look in her eyes. What little sleep she had gotten, must have strengthened her resolve. The snow had also stopped, and while it was still cold the sun shone in the sky. For some reason, that offered her a little bit of hope. She spent the day with several serving girls as they started early preparations for the next day.

One the very day of her wedding, Arya awoke to frantic screams and shouts that came from outside. She quickly slipped out of bed, ignoring the cold stones beneath her bare feet and the chill in the air that she could feel even through the thick cloth of her nightgown. The fire in her hearth had started to die, and she knew that at any second servants would come through the doors, ready to bring it back to life. Somewhere in the back of her mind she reminded herself that the servants would not leave her alone today, same as the day before. She would be under their watchful eyes as they helped her to prepare herself for the wedding. Quickly she blocked that unpleasant thought from her mind and turned her attention to the window.

She wanted to know what all the yelling was about outside. Once she positioned herself before the window she thrust it open and was greeted with a cold blast of air. She folded her arms over herself, trying to keep what little warmth remained to her. The snow may have stopped, but it seemed the deep chill to the air would stay. She longed to shut the window, but her curiosity got the better of her as she heard another angry yell. She leaned forward to look out the window. Unfortunately she could not see anything, but several people scurrying down below her caught her eye. Her gaze followed them as the bustled off towards where all the yells had originated. It occurred to her that all the commotion was coming from the general direction of the kennels.

Her mind was busy making assumptions about what that could possibly mean, when the door to her room abruptly opened and a harried looking serving woman, Arya remembered that her name was Sara, stormed through the threshold, followed by two other girls. "Goodness, Lady Arya, you'll catch a chill standing there. You don't want to be sick, not on your wedding day! Gods be good, the window is wide open and the fire nearly out," exclaimed the first woman. "Ivy, go on close that window," it was obvious she was the one in charge, "Mela get that fire roaring again."

The two other women jumped to do as they were bid, Arya had to quickly move from the open window, lest she be knocked aside by the eager serving girl. Arya watched as the woman in charge started to bustle around the room preparing the things that Arya would need to get ready for her _big_ day. Finally Arya found her voice, "what is happening outside?" She had heard another urgent, angry shout just before Ivy managed to bar the window. Arya kept her tone as icy as the air around the room.

Sara stopped rummaging through Arya's drawers, no doubt looking for ribbons and jewelry that would be acceptable for the Lady Arya to wear when she said her vows to Ramsay before the heart tree later that evening. She frowned at the question, and Arya could see the hesitancy in the older woman's eyes. Sara wasn't sure she should tell the lady the truth of what was going on.

"Sara, I wish to know what is going on." Arya's tone held a subtle warning, that the serving woman would not ignore.

"It's nothing to worry about, my lady," Sara said placatingly. "Nothing you should worry about at least. It's an ill omen to be sure, but Lord Roose said the wedding would still go on as planned. Lord Ramsay seemed to be in agreement, even if he is in an awful state. He's terribly upset, my lady, but I'm sure you'll be able to calm him some…"

Arya grew tired of the woman's prattling. It was obvious that she did not know Arya's true feelings about the wedding or the bastard she was about to marry. All she wanted was answers. "What happened?" Arya asked forcefully. A tinge of fear had colored her thoughts. Had something happened to Brienne or Podrick? Were the Northern lords and their treachery found out? Had their plan failed before they even had a chance to enact it?

"It's just Lord Ramsay's hounds, my lady." Ivy spoke up from the window. She at least could sense Arya's need to know.

Sara cast the younger servant a sharp look, then turned her gaze back to Arya. "It's nothing" the woman reiterated. "His hounds, they've gotten sick. I think one of them even died, but the others are terribly sick. The kennel master is trying hard to put them at ease, and Lord Ramsay's even asked the Maester to help look over them. He's terribly fond of those hounds. He seems to think they've been poisoned, but there's no evidence…" and the serving woman went on.

But Arya had tuned her out. She stopped caring the moment the woman said that Ramsay's dogs had fallen ill. In her heart Arya knew that Ramsay was right, they had been poisoned. Lord Manderly must have figured out a way make sure the dogs would not interfere with her escape plans. It was a dangerous game they played to be sure, Ramsay would likely blame the Northern Lords and somehow he would find a way to punish her for their crimes. But hopefully, he wouldn't try to retaliate until after they were married and they found themselves alone in the room that was once been shared by her parents. At least then if he tried to hurt her, she would be ready to fight back. Seven hells, if she really thought about it, she was ready at that moment to put an end to Ramsay's life, to claim back her own. It was then that she made the silent vow that this would be the last morning she would spend as a prisoner of the Boltons. She had to keep herself from smiling faintly as she heard another muffled shout from outside, the dogs being poisoned was only the first step on her way to freedom.

—

The day had slipped away from Arya, it had been a jumbled mess of preparations and conflicting emotions ranging from excitement to mind numbing fear. Suddenly before she knew it, the sun had started to set, and one of Ramsay's serving boys was sent to fetch her from her room. She wore a white woolen dress, simple in design, but elegant in cut. It was the finest dress she had ever worn, and when this awful night was over, she would burn it. She never wanted to see the hateful gown again. Draped over her shoulders was a cloak in the colors of House Stark, a dire wolf's head made from metal clasped at her throat making sure the cloak would stay in place. Her cold, grey eyes fixated on the serving boy. She said nothing to him, she simply nodded for him to lead the way and with her head held high, she followed quietly behind him.

When they reached the area just before they were to enter the Godswood, they were greeted by a man bearing the colors and sigil of House Ryswell. Arya knew him to be Lord Rodrick and immediately understood that he would be the one to _give_ her to Ramsay during the ceremony. With her father dead and Robb dead, her other brothers missing, and Petyr Baelish suddenly called to the Vale, there was no one else a kin to family that would have the honor. She supposed that Roose had chosen which Northern Lord would take her family member's place. She had heard that House Ryswell was amongst the first to swear loyalty to the Boltons, she supposed this was a reward. She did not know if Lord Rodrik was a part of Lord Manderly's conspiracy to oust the Boltons, and she did not care. She only knew that at this one moment in time, she hated the man, because he was taking the place of her father.

Arya said nothing as she stepped up next to Lord Ryswell and placed a hand upon his arm. Her eyes only narrowed as he started to lead her into the darkened Godswood towards the weir tree, the snow crunching beneath their feet. The path was lighted by candles, but she could have found her way in the dark. Eventually they made it to the clearing where she and Ramsay would say their vows in front of the Old Gods. The clearing was lighted with torches, but everything still seemed to be in shadow, and it all looked so foreign to her. She supposed it was because this was a place she had usually come to be alone, and it was now crowded with Northern Lords. Her eyes jumped from face to face hoping that Brienne and Podrick would be there. She almost let out a sigh of relief when she found them, they were not difficult to find, Brienne was tall enough to stick out and they stood near Lord Manderly who was also easy to spot in a crowd.

Her attention was not on them for long, because soon Roose's voice rang out asking who had come before the Old Gods. Lord Ryswell answered in the correct way. Arya barely listened to the ritual's words, they meant nothing to her. Instead her attention was on Ramsay, who looked at her with a satisfied grin spread across his face and a predatory look within his eyes. He said the proper words, saying that he, Ramsay Bolton had come to _claim _her. It was all she could do not to visibly cringe and she had to remind herself that soon that grin would be wiped from his lips. Vaguely she heard Ryswell talking, and he seemed to ask a question of her.

She could not pull her attention away from Ramsay, and she almost shuddered when his smile widened. Lord Ryswell cleared his throat and she tore her eyes away from her soon-to-be husband. She looked to the stranger who stood in place of her father and realized that everyone had gone quiet. "Lady Arya, do you take this man?" he asked again.

Her eyes darted about the clearing as she realized there was a tenseness that had hung over the crowded clearing. It seemed as if the guests were waiting on baited breath for her to do something. And then she realized it was her turn to take a more active role in the ceremony. Her eyes instantly found Podrick, the glance she threw him seemed to ask a question, _"is it done?"_

Podrick seemed to know what the look she had given him meant and he nodded his head once, answering her in the affirmative. Arya visibly relaxed, with that one nod, she knew that Needle was hidden in the room she would be sharing with Ramsay that night. Everything was set. She straightened her back proudly, then she took one step forward, and in a clear, strong voice, "I take this man."

Ramsay's eyes glittered in the torch light as he stepped forward, holding his hand out to Arya. She placed her hand in his and she managed to keep her face calm as his hand closed around hers. She took another step so that she stood beside him, then they both faced the weir tree, and knelt in the snow before it. Their heads bowed in silent prayer. Only Arya didn't pray for a blessing upon her marriage, she prayed for strength so that she could end it before the night was through.

When the moment for prayer was over, the couple stood up slowly. Ramsay turned to Arya, unclasped her cloak and let it drop to the ground at her feet. He replaced it with his own cloak that bore the Bolton's colors to signify that he was bringing Arya under his House's _protection_. And just like that she was no longer Arya of House Stark, she was Arya of House Bolton.

—

At the wedding feast there was a tension in the air that blanketed Winterfell's main hall. There were of course the loud conversations and the booming laughs coming from almost every table. But to Arya it all seem staged. The Northern lords, the Freys, and a smattering of other Southron guests were putting up every appearance to be happy and carefree, to exude an all around festive mood, after all it _was _a wedding.

Arya knew better, no one wanted to be there. The memory of her Uncle Edmure's wedding was still too fresh. She could see the subtle tension the Northern lords held in their bodies, as if they would be ready to attack at a moments notice should the need arise. The Freys must have noticed too, because they seemed to be just as on edge. And even as they pretended to joke and talk civilly with each other, there was still every sign in their body language that spoke of distrust. Arya knew that if the ale had been flowing more freely, the civility might have faltered and there would have been a few fights that Roose's men at arms would have had to break up. But she had noted earlier that everyone seemed wary of drinking, either the offered wine or ale. Another lesson the Northerners learned from Twins. Never drink to excess when Freys or Boltons were present, especially at weddings.

Arya also abstained from the wine that had been poured in her goblet at the start of the meal. She had no doubt it would help calm her nerves, but she wanted to be clear headed for the task she was to perform later that night. Likewise the food didn't seem appealing to her either, although instead of not eating entirely, she picked at the meat and bread that had been placed on a dish before her. She forced as much of it as she could down, knowing that she had to keep her strength up.

And quietly, she waited as the feast wore on. She kept her eyes down on the plate, scared that she might give something away to Roose or Ramsay should her eyes meet with Lord Manderly, Brienne, or Podrick. She only talked when someone had spoken to her, and she kept her voice quiet and meek, hoping she would discourage any conversation. She was sure she looked the perfect picture of what a frightened, young bride should look like when she was about to spend the night with her stranger of a husband. Especially one who was known for his cruelty. It was a role that was easy to play, but in truth she was anxious for the damned feast to be over. Eventually people started to ignore her, and Ramsay was the only one left to talk to.

Ramsay had not left her side since they had entered the main hall. He seemed intent on keeping her close, and on watching her every move. He seemed almost protective of her. It wasn't that he wanted to keep her safe from harm, he was protective in the way that he wanted to keep other people away from what he thought was rightfully his.

This was only proven when he leaned in close to her so that he could whisper in a voice that only she could hear. "You seem nervous, my love." He he nodded pointedly to her barely touched meal. "I imagine your stomach must be in knots, no doubt you're worried about the bedding ceremony." When he said this she turned her head slightly so she could look at him through narrowed eyes. She let a small bit of contempt enter her expression, and this seemed to amuse him. With a smug smile, he continued, "not to worry about that. I don't like the thought of another man's hands upon you, or their eyes roaming on what only I should see. If _anyone _even tries to put their hands you…well you know I'm a very jealous man. Let us just say the punishment would be very painful for _any_ offender."

Arya had the distinct feeling that Ramsay was subtly taunting her about the plans he had should he ever have the chance to have Theon at his mercy. It was a stark reminder that he had found out just weeks ago how deep the relationship between her and Theon ran. She knew he was trying to scare her, but she would not allow any fear she may have felt to show upon her face. Instead she just blinked at him, as if she didn't know what he was trying to imply.

This caused Ramsay to frown, disappointed that she didn't seem to get the true meaning behind his words, so he said, "that goes for _anyone_ who may have already claimed your heart, my dear."

"Then it is good that anyone who may have done so, is not currently within your grasp." Arya hissed softly enough that only he would here the words she said. She wanted to defiantly add that Theon would never be in a position where Ramsay could hurt him. However, she knew that might give away too much information, like the fact that she knew Theon was alive, and for now safely out of reach from the Boltons and Baelish. It might make Ramsay suspicious and force her and her co-conspirators to change their plans. She could not have that, for her safety, for the safety of all those she cared about, Ramsay had to die that night.

"But I do have you within grasp, don't I, my lovely little wolf." He raised a hand, his index finger extended to trace the line of her jaw. It might have seemed like a tender gesture, but of course, to some extent, everyone in that hall knew the truth of what her and Ramsay's relationship really was. That's why she didn't bather to hide the small shudder that ran through her body at his touch. He smiled at her reaction. "Perhaps it's time we make our way to our private rooms."

Abruptly he stood up, with a predatory smile Ramsay called out loudly to their wedding guests. "Friends!" He looked around the hall, and his smile dimmed a little when he realized he wasn't only speaking to _friends_. While the Freys were friendly, that didn't make them friends and he seemed to realize that most of the Northern guests would rather see the Boltons dead. He struggled for a moment trying to come up with a word and finally settled on, "Friends and_ allies_, I beg your attention." When almost everyone's attention was on him, he flashed a look at Arya and then looked back to his audience. "My bride and I wish to thank you for attending this most joyous occasion. Unfortunately, the day has been tiring for my wife," with that he offered his hand to Arya, woodenly she took it and stood up next him. She carefully looked out into the crowd, not looking anyone in the eye. She barely listened as Ramsay continued with his farewell speech. "And we must bid you good night."

After a few congratulatory shouts from the more vocal supporters of House Bolton, Ramsay tugged at Arya's hand. He started to pull her through the crowd. Arya didn't put up any resistance. Her mind was far too occupied with what she was about to attempt. Her heart had started to beat faster, she couldn't tell if it was in fear or anticipation. It was probably a little bit of both, fear that she might fail and anticipation that she might not. Before she knew it, Ramsay had floated them through the crowded hall and led them towards the stairs that would lead them to the room that used to be her parents.

It was only minutes later that she stood in the room, staring at the bed that Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn had shared in happier times. She blinked once, it occurred to her that she might be trying to hold back tears as memories of those happier times flooded into her mind. After a few seconds, she was jolted back into her current reality when Ramsay closed the door behind them, and she heard the distinct click of the lock sliding into place. He had already dismissed the guards, now they were truly alone.

Even though her back was to him, Arya could feel his gaze upon her, and her skin prickled. Her eyes darted from the bed, down to the darkened area between the bed frame and the floor, knowing that her salvation lie within that small space. There was a small problem though, she didn't know how she was going reach Needle without seeming suspicious. Frantically she looked around the room, first to the fire place, then to a mirror, then a small table. Her eyes almost slipped over the contents that were upon the table. The servants had left a pitcher of wine and two goblets for the newly married couple.

She was contemplating how that might help her when abruptly she felt Ramsay's hand at her waist. While she was surveying her surroundings he must have crept up behind her and the moment he touched her she jumped, then instantly went still. Her mind went blank, not knowing how to handle the situation. He chuckled darkly at this, but didn't break his hold on her. If anything he tightened his grip on her waist and then pulled her back so that she was flush against his body. The moment her body came into full contact with his, she seemed to gain back some of her senses and she pushed away her panic. Her hands instinctively went where his hand was touching her. She pushed it roughly away from her. It must have caught him off guard because she was able to pull away from him without any struggle, and she spun so that she could look him in the eye.

The expression on Ramsay's face, filled her with disgust. In his eyes, she saw the lust and desire there, but she understood that it wasn't for her as a woman. No, he wanted to dominate her, to show her who was in charge. That was his true desire. He wanted her to understand that she no longer had any sort of power over herself, that he now _owned_ her. Visibly she shuddered, and that pleased her husband.

Not being able to stand his smug smile, she turned her attention back to the table that held the wine. Tentatively she took a few steps towards it, wondering if he would stop her right now. Her heart thudded wildly, but she managed to keep her voice even, "a drink, my lord, before…before we get started?" Without waiting for him to answer, she picked up the pitcher. Her hands started to shake as she began to pour the wine in one of the metal goblets. She hated that she showed this small amount of weakness.

She had only managed to pour one glass, when she felt him behind her once more. This time Ramsay didn't touch her. He just leaned down so he could whisper in her ear. His hot breath was uncomfortable against her skin. "No wine." Then he pulled away from her and backed up slightly, he raised his voice slightly. "Undress," had been his one, simple command.

He apparently didn't want to waste any time. She set the pitcher of wine back down with a thud and glanced at the full goblet. This could be her chance. It wouldn't be hard to pretend that she was nervous and scared, thus making her clumsy. She moved to turn around so that she could look at him, and purposefully allowed her hand to brush against the goblet, causing it to tip over, spilling it's contents. "I'm sorry, just let me clean this up." She reached for a cloth that had been left near the pitcher and she frantically started dabbing at the spilled wine. She continued to feign her nervous fluttering all the while, and managed to knock the goblet once more, this time sending it to the floor and she was satisfied to see that it went in the direction she wanted and then continued to roll towards the bed.

"Leave it." This was another command from Ramsay, is voice clearly betraying his annoyance at her antics. "I already gave you a task." He paused and then demanded once more. "Undress."

Arya let his words drift right over her, and pretended not to hear what he had said. She allowed herself to show a bit of her frustration as she rushed to say, "a moment, my lord, just let me pick up the cup." She took a step closer to where the goblet had come to a rest. She dropped to her knees and reached for the cup. Again, she knocked the it so that it would find its way underneath the bed. This time she did smile at her success, for she knew Ramsay could not see it. She inched her hand under the bed, blindly she started to search for her Needle.

She of course didn't have much time. Ramsay was impatient, she could feel him looming over her. "Arya," he had warned. "When I ask you to do something, I expect it to be done." He leaned down and grabbed her arm, the one that had been propping her up while the other hand searched for her sword.

Just as he was about to pull her up, her fingers brushed against steel, and instinctively her fingers curled around Needle's hilt. There was a moment of triumph that surged through Arya, even as Ramsay roughly pulled at her arm to make her stand up. Clumsily she pulled her arm out from under the bed, and she cringed in horror as she heard Needle make contact with the metal goblet and sent it rolling from under the bed. Her hand still held on tightly to her sword, as Ramsay forced her to her feet. The clattering of the goblet had gotten his attention, and instantly his eyes fell on Needle. Before she even had a chance to raise the sword in a defensive gesture, his hand darted out to grab the wrist of the hand she held Needle with. There was a cold, calculating grin playing upon his lips as he looked down at the weapon.

Arya's heart dropped. She had lost her element of surprise, she was going to fail and from the glint that was in Ramsay's eyes, she was going to pay for it.

In the blink of an eye, Ramsay twisted her wrist painfully. She cried out and felt her fingers loosen their grip, and Needle clattered to the ground. His booted foot made a kick at the steel, sending it even further from her reach. His hand still held her wrist. "It seems that you do have some friends at Winterfell after all. I wonder which Northern lord has been helping you out. Was it the Glovers? The Umbers? A Flint perhaps? You will tell me little one, won't you?"

"No." She spat at him defiantly.

His eyes narrowed. "You will." He said it with such certainty that it gave her goosebumps to think about what he would do to her to get her to talk. He paused a moment, as he drank in her fear. "They are a meddlesome bunch, aren't they? All those little _accidents_ in the months leading up to today. I thought once the day we wed they would stop their petty tricks. But no, first they tampered with my hounds and now they conspire with my wolf." He let out an exaggerated sigh, "they will have to be taught a lesson, won't they?" Then the smile fell from his lips and he became serious. "But first you must learn, my love." That was the only warning he gave before he dropped her wrist from his grip, then backhanded her across her face with such a force that her knees buckled and she fell backwards onto the floor.

She landed hard on her back and the wind had been knocked out of her. Her vision swam from the blow to her head. Dazed she looked up at Ramsay, she had a hard time focusing on his grim features as he crouched down next to her. "I will ask you again. Who left you that little knife?" He said, and his voice almost sounded kind when he asked. Gently he traced a small patch of skin near her left eye, the one that had taken the brunt of his blow, with his finger. The skin had started to darken, he knew there would be a visible bruise. It seemed to please him that he had left his mark upon her.

The pain in her head was great and her mind seemed to be sluggish. But the moment his finger made contact with her skin there was instant clarity. She was in danger, just that thought seemed to give her a jolt of strength. She was reminded that there was too much at stake for her to fail. There were people who were counting on her to finish what she had started when she first reached for Needle. There were the Northern lords who needed her to help to liberate them from Bolton's rule. Brienne and Pod needed her to help if they were to escape. She needed to help her family reclaim Winterfell. There was Nymeria, who she knew was waiting for her out in the cold night. And Theon, he was waiting for her too. She knew he would come for her eventually, but there were too many risks. What if he failed and Ramsay got a hold of him? No, she would not let that happen. She would not be one of those girls from the songs, the ones who waited for someone else to rescue them. She had to escape Winterfell tonight.

So instead of answering Ramsay's question, she gathered her strength and batted his hand away from her face and managed to get herself on her hands and knees so that she could scramble for her Needle. She failed miserably. She got tangled up in the fabric of her gown and it slowed her down considerably. He must have realized her intentions, because he grabbed at her skirts, and yanked back on them roughly, tearing the material as he did so. Her elbows and knees gave way again and once more she found herself lying on the floor, only this time on her stomach. Even as she struggled against him, he managed to turn her over so that she was on her back. After that it only took a few seconds for him to climb on top of her so that he straddled her.

It was clear to the both of them that he was at the advantage, but that didn't stop Arya from struggling. She scratched at his face, she tried pounding her fists against his chest, but none of it seemed to phase him. In fact he seemed to find her little display funny. Eventually he grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head. "Are you done yet?' His tone seemed almost bored. Then with an obvious lear he said, "there is other business we have to attend to tonight."

Her eyes widened when she realized he still had every intention of bedding her. "No." It was the only word she muttered before she started to try to break free from his hold again. He chuckled then positioned himself so that only one hand was holding both of her wrists against the floor. His free hand moved to the collar of her dress. He hooked on to the fabric with every intention of ripping it off of her. However before he could, Arya frantically managed to break one of her wrists free from his awkward hold. Again she tried to use her nails, slashing her fingers across his face near his eyes. This time she managed to hit the mark, one of her nails had dragged across his eye. She was rewarded with the sharp cry of surprise and pain that came from his throat.

Unfortunately, his amusement had given way to fury now that she had actually managed to hurt him. Instead of his hand preparing to rip her dress off, it now closed in around her throat. The moment he put the slightest pressure on her windpipe, she became still. Her mind instantly flashing back to that day in the crypts when he had threatened her in the same manner. Only this time, he applied more pressure. The hand she had used to scratch at him now clawed at his hand that held her throat. There was a triumphant, maniacal smile starting to grow upon his lips. His hand that had held her other wrist loosened its grip enough that she could yank it free. Not that it did her much good. While she had two hands free, now he did too. Before she knew it, both of his hands were at her throat, and both of her hands were desperately trying to break his grip on her.

Black was starting to creep into her vision, and she knew she was running out of time. She could not pry his fingers off her neck. In a panic she gave up on that course of action, and then wildly she allowed her hands to search the area around them to see if there was anything within her reach that she could use as a weapon. It didn't take long for her hand to come into contact with something that felt like metal. It was not Needle, and instantly she realized it must have been the goblet she had knocked to the floor. It was small, with not much weight, but she was desperate. She knew it wouldn't do him much damage, unfortunately it would have to do. Summoning the last of her strength she raised her hand and smashed the goblet against Ramsay's forehead.

The force of the blow caught him off guard, causing him slacken his hold on her neck, at least enough for her to breath freely. Encouraged by her first success, she made another attempt to hit his face with the goblet. This time it hit at the bridge of his nose, the base of the goblet must have hit him perfectly because he cringed in pain. This time his hands were off of her neck completely, because he had raised them to clutch at his nose. For a brief, precious moment he was preoccupied with the pain she had inflected. She dropped the goblet and with one final shove on his chest she pushed him off of her and sat up. Once again she made an attempt to scramble towards where Ramsay had kicked her sword.

As she started to scramble towards it, Ramsay seemed to gather his wits. He shakily got to his feet, fully intending to beat Arya to the small weapon she seemed so intent on getting her hands on. But this time he was too late. She reached Needle first. Even as he took a few steps towards her, while she was still on the floor, she managed to raise herself to her knees, with the sword in her hand. She could feel that he was almost upon her, she knew she didn't have time to stand up, so she turned awkwardly on her knees and without thinking, wildly slashed out at where she thought his abdomen might be.

In that moment, it seemed as if time stood still. Arya looked at Ramsay, both of them in shock at what had just transpired. Ramsay had no armor to protect his flesh and Arya's sword had hit its target. Ramsay looked down at the wound, he felt no pain, at least not yet. But he could see the blood was beginning to soak his clothing. It had not been a killing blow, but she must have cut him deep. He could already feel his knees beginning to weaken, then the pain finally hit and he had to struggle to keep himself standing, and he knew he would not be able to defend himself any longer. He brought his eyes back up to Arya and he saw that she was struggling to stand in her torn dress. Her grip on her sword had never faltered. Once she stood at her full height, her grey eyes regarded him coldly. There was no triumph in that stare, there was only calm. She had won, and now she would do her duty. It was in that moment he realized that he was going to die.

He opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something, but Arya never gave him the chance. She lunged forward and pierced Needle through his heart. When she pulled the sword away, she watched as Ramsay fell to the floor. She watched silently, as the blood began to pool underneath his body. Her face was like stone as she saw the life fade from his eyes. And just like that she was a widow.

—

**Author's Note: **I know I've said that other chapters in this story were difficult for me to write, but this was by far the worst. It was a challenge, and while I don't think it was perfect, I did my best. Hopefully, should I ever write another scene like it, I will be able to do so with a little more confidence. On a happier note Ramsay is dead! Another chapter should be forthcoming in a timely fashion. I actually have half of it written, because I was going to originally put it in with this chapter, but I figured Ramsay dying would be a good stopping point. (That and if I didn't break it up, it would be one extremely long chapter.)

**To Lord Of Carrion:** I doubt Theon and Jon will ever truly get along, but I wanted them to at least act like adults when it came to each other. It seemed only right considering they both care about Arya. I'm with you Stannis, I feel would be the best King for Westeros. (Even if it cannot happen that way in canon…but you know…fan fiction is basically a fan's wish fulfillment :) ) but as to whether he succeeds in this particular story, I don't think I should tell you because…uh… spoilers!

**To ATP: **Thank you, so very much. I'm really happy you approve of my little changes to my little alternative Westeros

**To BlueSkyye: **Thank you again! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. I am thinking I might put up some of my original work over at FictionPress after I revise it a ton. (Putting up original work can be kind of scary) I'll let you know if and when I decide!

**To Jean d'arc:** Thank you so much for the review! And yeah, I guess war will make you grow up and forget all the pettiness of childhood. I doubt Theon and Jon will ever be friends, but at least they can be civil to each other. And I kind of wish the show would have chosen to go into what was going on in the North with Manderly and all those other lords. (But I'm going to put my issues with the show aside for now….) And I wanted Stannis on the Throne so bad (before season 5), I think he would have been best for the kingdoms.

**SophiaLT16: **Thanks for the review! Ever since I read the books, I've found the idea of Arya being the one to marry Ramsay to be intriguing. But let me tell you, it has been difficult to write! So it makes my little writers heart soar to know that people actually think I'm doing the idea justice.


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's note:** Sorry guys, I've been having a bit of writers block! Anyway, I want to say thank you to all you readers! You guys are the best!

**Chapter 33**

Arya wasn't sure how long she stood there, staring down at the corpse that had once been Ramsay Bolton. The first few moments were very vivid, she noticed small details, like that he had died with his eyes open. They stared glassy and lifeless up at the ceiling. His mouth was still open, his dying thoughts unheard by anyone. And even in death, the shock and confusion that it was her who had killed him, was still etched on his face. The same words kept playing through her mind. _She had done it. She had killed Ramsay Bolton._ It was the only thing she thought. As she kept that mantra up, things began to start to get hazy for her, the adrenaline that had kept her fighting against Ramsay was starting to fade away.

Eventually, as she stood there, the wrist that Ramsay had twisted began to ache, and the fingers that still held Needle in a death grip began to loosen. It was not long before they let go completely and the sword dropped to the floor in a clatter. Arya barely registered the sound, and so lost was she within herself, that she hadn't realized the weapon was no longer in her hand. Her head had begun to throb, and standing had started to make her dizzy. Killing Ramsay had not come without a cost.

She was tired, her knees felt wobbly, even in her clouded state she knew that she needed rest. Absently she started to back up, keeping her eyes on Ramsay. When the back of her legs hit the bed and she instantly collapsed so that she sat down. It offered her a moment of relief, and she closed her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to lie down on the bed and curl up to sleep for days. But something kept her from doing so, there was something that was nagging her, some thought that she couldn't quite grasp on to. It kept niggling at her, but she couldn't break through the fog of her head injury to figure out what it was that was demanding her attention.

Again the moments stretched out as she rested on the bed, her eyes closed. At some point she must have started to drift asleep, because she suddenly jerked awake when she felt her body start to fall back even further onto the bed. Her mind, as fuzzy as it was, seemed to know that if she found herself lying down it would be difficult to get back up, to get moving again. There was a vague thought that tickled her mind telling her that it would be a bad idea if she wasn't prepared to leave. But even still her body kept leaning over, wanting the rest it so rightly deserved. Instinctively, she moved her hands behind her so that her arms could help to keep her propped up in a sitting position.

That had been a mistake, a sharp pain shot up from her injured wrist and through her arm. She let out a small cry, but he pain seemed to help focus her mind. Her weary gaze floated to the dead man and she knew that she had to leave this room. In that brief moment of clarity she remembered that Podrick and Brienne would be coming, and would be intent on helping her escape. She had to be ready for them.

Reluctantly she took her gaze away from Ramsay. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous to turn her eyes from his empty shell. Perhaps she was afraid that she really hadn't killed him, that he was only unconscious, and that he would wake up and take his vengeance on her. She winced slightly at that thought, and she told herself she was being silly. He was dead.

Her eyes landed on the torn, bloody skirts of her wedding dress. She couldn't stay in this ruined gown. Slowly she picked herself up off of the bed and moved to the chest inside the room that was meant to hold clothing. Her movements were sluggish as she struggled to open it. When she finally managed to throw open the doors, she let out a sigh of relief that she hadn't known she was holding. The servants had already moved her things into the room. She peered carefully at the clothing that had been left for her. They were all dresses, none of the trousers and shirts she would have preferred had been included in the move. Apparently that clothing would not have been appropriate for her to wear.

She shifted awkwardly through the clothing, hoping that she would find something that would be suitable to wear for her flight from Winterfell. Thankfully, she came across a dress that was more suitable than the others for traveling and she pulled it from the closet. It took her longer then she liked to free herself from the wedding gown and even more precious moments to dress herself in the new one. She managed to find a pair of sturdy boots, also more suitable then the shoes she had on for the wedding. Her wrist throbbed as she laced them up. The pain was an annoyance, but at least she was able to move her wrist, meaning that it was only sprained and not broken. Finally she placed a cloak over her shoulders. Then found her way back to the bed, where she sat down, heavy with exhaustion. The simple act of changing clothing had drained her.

The next few moments were a haze as she let her fatigue take over. She was careful to keep her eyes open, she could not afford to fall asleep, but she kept her gaze upon the fire. The dance of the flames seemed almost hypnotizing and it allowed her mind to go numb. Which in some ways was a blessing, she didn't have to think about what Ramsay had almost done to her, how she almost became a victim to his cruelty. Nor did she have to think about his body lying on the floor in a pool of blood and how she had been the cause of it. However the numbing of her mind also distracted her from the danger she was in. Had guards forced their way into the room, she was in no frame of mind to defend herself. She hadn't even realized that her Needle was no where near her reach.

So lost was she within herself, that Arya jumped when she heard the booming sound. Her head turned toward the source of the noise, it had been the door, and it seemed as if someone was beating their fists upon it. On instinct she reached for her sword only to find that it wasn't at her side. Wildly, her eyes darted around the room for Needle. Had the guards heard the struggle between her and Ramsay? Were they coming to check on her? Finally, she saw her weapon lying near Ramsay's pool of blood. She stood up quickly, too quickly, her head swam and it took a moment for her to steady herself. Her mind was also sluggish, like she wasn't sure what she should do. And the pounding on the door persisted.

"ARYA!" Instantly she was flooded with relief. The bellowing voice and the hammering at the door had been Brienne. In the fight, Arya had forgotten that Ramsay had locked the door when they had first entered the room. Without a second thought she slowly made her way to the door and unlatched it.

"It's okay, I'm okay. I took care of it." Arya sputtered as she pulled the door open.

Brienne stood at the open door, gaping at Arya. She noticed the younger girl's bruised face and dazed eyes. "How badly are are you hurt?" She asked Arya urgently, as she quickly brushed past the girl to enter the room. Brienne's eyes were instantly drawn to Ramsay's body and the blood that had gathered beneath him, while she waited for Arya to answer. "We were forced to fight, we left a few corpses that are bound to get unwanted attention."

Arya didn't answer right away, her focus had left Brienne after the tall woman entered the room and rested on Podrick. He had not entered the room completely, he only came as far as the door's threshold. He seemed agitated and he watched the length of the hallway, nervously looking out for any Bolton guards that might find their way to the second floor. Vaguely, Arya registered that the look on Pod's face seemed almost certain, like he expected those guards to show up at any second. He cast Arya one quick glance, balked at her appearance, shot Brienne a hurried look and then turned his attention back to the hallway. In the seconds that passed as she watched Podrick's actions, it seemed Arya had forgotten Brienne's question.

"Arya!" Brienne snapped. Arya started at the harshness in Brienne's voice. Instantly Brienne felt a bit guilty, she did not mean to be cruel, she could tell Arya was probably suffering a concussion, but time was of the essence. Her and Pod had encountered more guards on patrol of Winterfell's halls then they had anticipated on their way to Arya. A fight had ensued and she was sure they had not been quiet enough to hide the clang of steel on steel. Even if they had not been heard in the feasting hall, the Boltons did not trust their Northern guests, and that meant there were more guardsmen wandering the halls. She had no doubt that their fighting had been heard and they had not had time to hide the bodies of those they had killed. Once those bodies had been found and Roose had been told, Winterfell would be locked down. Their window to escape was closing rapidly.

Brienne tried to calm herself by closing her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and looked seriously at Arya. "Will you be able to walk? Can you lead us out of here Arya? If they found us here, with him," she motioned to Ramsay, "we will be killed. It's only a matter of time before they find the dead guards."

That seemed to bring Arya back to her senses, her friends and concern for their safety brought her back to focus. She furrowed her brow painfully. She nodded her head and realized too late that moving her head in that fashion was not a good idea, as a wave of nausea over took her. She closed her eyes and let the moment pass before she opened her eyes to look at Brienne. "I can still get us out of here." Arya said hoarsely.

From the door Podrick looked at them, concern still evident in his features. He could hear a cry of alarm coming from the down the hall and he knew the dead guards had been found. "We should go, _now." _

_"_Right." Arya agreed quietly and then mentaly prepared herself for the physical hardship of having to get herself moving again. "Brienne, could you please hand me Needle."

Without a word, Brienne bent to pick up Arya's blood stained sword. Carefully, Arya took the Needle when it was offered to her. She could feel the discomfort in her wrist when she tried to hold it. Tentatively she rotated the wrist, while holding Needle tightly. A sharp pain shot through her arm, and she winced, the adrenaline that had coursed through her body must have prevented her from feeling the pain when she had used the sword to kill Ramsay. Now that the threat was over she could feel everything. But, at least she could move the wrist and if she had to use the sword to defend herself again, she would be able to do so.

Once she was rearmed, Arya stumbled out of the door, and Podrick reached out to help steady her. She gave him a weak smile as a thank you. Then said, "it's best if we use the servant's stairway." Even she could hear the commotion coming from the hallway that lead to the main staircase. If they lingered it would only be moments, before the guards found their way into this hall. She knew the guards first concern would be for Roose, and then for Ramsay if they thought the keep was under attack. "Right now their focus is that way, we still might be able to escape notice if we go the opposite way."

It only took seconds for them to close the bedroom door behind them and to start down the hallway that led away from the main staircase. Brienne guided them quickly through the halls, turning when Arya prompted and soon they found themselves at the top of the stairs. They paused there, taking a moment to listen to their surroundings to hear if anyone was following them. Their luck had held, they heard nothing and had yet to see even a servant cross their path. Then they descended the stairs slowly, minding the injuries Arya had sustained.

Once they reached the main floor, things seemed to be eerily calm. Arya would have thought that as soon as the guards bodies had been found, that the rest of Roose's men would be on alert, that they would be combing the keep for the people who were responsible. By now they should have even found Ramsay's body, causing even more of a stir. That's why it made Arya uneasy that everything seemed to be too quiet, even in the servants section of the keep. Their escape seemed to be going far to easy, even with her head in such an addled state she was certain that meant that things were bound to go bad.

With that thought spurring her on, a hint of urgency came to her tone as she continued to feed Brienne directions on where to go. It wasn't long before they finally made it to the door that would lead them outside. When the stepped into the cold, night air, they all took a deep breath and Arya could almost taste the freedom. The crisp air seemed to breathe a new life into her and she felt some of the fogginess lift from her head. The night was cold, but it was clear, and the moon shone brightly. Which was both a blessing and a curse. It gave them plenty of light to see by, but that meant it would be easy for others to see them skulking about the yard on their way to the Hunter's Gate.

"It's that way," Arya said pointing in the direction of the gate. "We should stick close to the walls, and hug the shadows when we can. There won't be many people about this area at this time of night, but I don't know if that would have changed since the two of you had to kill some of the guards. We know that their bodies have been discovered, who knows if they found Ramsay yet. We should hurry. You're sure Lord Manderly said the guards at the gate would be taken care of?"

"He said they would be." Brienne said with certainty.

"Then's let's go while we still can. I feel like our luck has been too good so far." Arya muttered.

"Arya, I wouldn't say we've been too lucky. Brienne and I almost got caught, and you…" Podrick motioned to her battered face.

"It could have been a lot worse." Arya said darkly, but she didn't elaborate. "Come, I seem to have gotten a second wind, but I'm not sure how long it will last. We need to get as far away as we can before they notice I'm not longer within Winterfell's walls."

They saw no one in the vicinity, and carefully started to make their way towards the gates that would lead them to freedom. Once the Hunter's Gate was in sight they stopped, taking a few moments to watch the gate house for any kind of movement from the guards. Everything seemed still, and they took that to mean that the guards really had been taken care of.

"We're not going to get very far on foot," Arya whispered as they continued to watch the gatehouse.

"Manderly has a man waiting for us at a farm a couple miles North of here with some horses." Replied Brienne. "Do you think you can make it that far? It would be too risky to try to steal some from the stables."

"I don't really have much of a choice." Arya muttered. "We should probably hurry if we have any chance of making it to safety." Her tone betrayed that she didn't have much hope in getting away from Wintefell.

Her fears, it seemed weren't misplaced. They should have known that it would be too easy for them to just walk out of Winterfell so calmly. They had started moving again and just as they neared the gates a lone figure stepped in front of them, holding a bow at the ready. The person's face obscured by shadow as a cloud passed over the moon.

"I would stop there, if I were you." Said a smooth female voice that Arya recognized. "I was just coming to check on Lord Ramsay's sick hounds, when I noticed the lack of guards at the gates. I grabbed my bow and was about to see why the guards were not at their post when I happened to run across the three of you sneaking about."

"Myranda." Arya said tightly, as the cloud passed over and the moonlight faintly illuminated Myranda's face to reveal her devilish grin.

"Lady Arya, I'm surprised to find you here. You should be with your Lord husband, should you not?" Myranda's eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze jumped down to the sword in Arya's grip. Even in the semi-darkness she could tell that the blade had been stained, and Myranda knew that the sword had tasted blood that night. The grin she had wore, dropped instantly as her eyes snapped up to look at Arya. Her voice had hardened, there was a hint of fear and anguish in her tone when she asked, "what have you done?" It was a question she didn't need an answer to, because she knew that the only person Arya could have hurt in the last couple of hours, was Ramsay. A fury started to bubble up within her and before Myranda realized what she was doing, she was taking aim solely at Arya, not caring that the Stark girl's companions would be upon her the moment she loosed an arrow.

Arya, Brienne, and Podrick realized that the girl was not going to give Arya the chance to answer. Without so much as a thought of their own safety, Brienne reached out to grab Arya's arm ready to yank her out of the arrow's path or to push her back while Brienne put herself between Arya and the arrow. Podrick moved into a position to press an attack on Myranda once she let the arrow fly, his battle axe held at the ready. But it never came to that. Just as Myranda was about to take the shot, a heavy weight hit against her making her lose aim. The arrow was knocked loose, but it went wide, going no where near Arya, Brienne, or Pod. Myranda was struggling on the ground, under the weight of a mass of fur and teeth. There was one harsh growl and Myranda quickly stopped moving as she looked up into the eyes of one very angry dire wolf.

"Nymeria!" Arya exclaimed in a gurgled sounding gasp that was a mixture of a sob and a giggle. The wolf must have been waiting for her chance to reunite with her master. Nymeria noticed the lack of guards at the Hunter's Gate and took the opportunity to slip within the walls of Winterfell. She had padded through the gates just in time to see Myranda threaten Arya, and the wolf acted accordingly, taking down any perceived threat to her master.

Podrick took one tentative step towards where the wolf had pinned Myranda down. He knew that Nymeria would not purposely hurt him, but he also did not want to startle her, in case she decided to lash out if she thought he was attempting to help Myranda. In a low voice he said to Nymeria, "it's okay girl, I'm not going to let her hurt Arya. I promise." He reached down to grip Myranda's arm, while the wolf watched him carefully. "Go say hello to your master." Nymeria whined, which Podrick took as a _thank you_ and then she backed off Myranda carefully. Podrick roughly helped the woman to her feet and within seconds Brienne was beside him, with Oathkeeper out and ready should Myranda try something.

With Myranda taken care of, Nymeria turned her full attention on Arya. The wolf trotted quickly to where the girl stood. Arya instantly went to her knees and wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck. She buried her face in Nymeria's fur, it felt like a small piece of her soul had been missing and it was now finally returned to her.

Brienne and Podrick allowed them to stay like that for a few moments, but again their time was running low. They needed to leave Winterfell in haste. It was Podrick who spoke up first, has hand still holding on to their hostage tightly. "What should we do with her?" He asked yanking on Myranda's arm.

Arya picked her head up and looked at the foolish girl who had fallen in love with Ramsay Bolton. Myranda glared back defiantly. Arya brought herself to a standing position again, her mind going through all the possibilities of what to do with Myranda. Arya's fingers were still entangled in Nymeria's fur. Her first thought was to kill her, it was what Myranda had wanted to do to her. However, Arya was hesitant to do that. The woman was now unarmed and helpless. But they could not let her go either, the first thing Myranda would do would be to run to Roose and tell him of their crimes. There was really only one option. "We tie her up, gag her, and leave her for someone to find in the morning." Arya motioned to the small gatehouse that stood empty, meaning they should stash Myranda there.

They all seemed to agree that that was the best they could do with Myranda, so Brienne held on to the woman while Podrick sprinted towards the gatehouse to see if there was something there that they could use to tie Myranda up. It didn't take long for him to come back out, looking drained but determined. In his hands he carried some sturdy looking rope and a dirty cloth to use for a gag. "The gatehouse isn't empty. Two dead Bolton guards lie within. Our friend," he was careful not to use Manderly's name, "must have had them killed for our sake." He said hastily as he started to tie the girl's hands together behind her back.

"You won't get away with this." Myranda snapped at them before they stuffed the gag into her mouth.

No one said anything to the prisoner as Brienne started to drag her towards the gatehouse. Podrick and Arya followed closely behind. Nymeria took up the rear, carefully guarding their backs as they walked. Once they reached the house, Arya and Podrick waited while Brienne tended to Myranda. Brienne unceremoniously pushed Myranda inside the cramped space and the girl made a muffled cry as she fell down next to the two dead Bolton guardsmen. Myranda struggled as Brienne leaned over to tie the girl's feet together.

Brienne seemed annoyed by Myranda's antics, "relax, you'll only be uncomfortable for a little while. Eventually, there will be a change of guard and they'll find you." Myranda tried to utter a response but the gag would not let her, so she stared pointedly at the corpses. Brienne rolled her eyes. "The dead cannot hurt you." That was the last thing she said before she stood up and slipped out of the gate house, slamming the door behind her. She looked over to where Arya and Podrick stood waiting for her. "We should-"

She had been interrupted by loud shouts that started to sound from with in the keep. The reaction that they had expected after the slain guards had first been discovered was finally happening. That meant that there would soon be more guards coming to reinforce this gate and once they got here they would see Mryanda. She would tell them that Arya and her two friends had just been there. That they couldn't have fled too far.

"We're too late,_"_ Brienne said flatly.

"Shouldn't we at least try to flee?" Podrick asked, fear starting to creep into his voice.

"Flee to where?" Arya snapped, "My injuries are starting to catch up with me, and my strength is waning. Roose will send mounted men after us, and we have no horses, we'll be run down in no time. Fleeing is not an option."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Podrick snapped back at her. "Sit down and wait for them to capture us?"

"The two of you could go." Arya said quietly. "I would only slow you down right now. I could try to convince them that I acted alone. That I killed Ramsay and then I killed those guards." Arya knew that no one would believe that story, but if it gave time for Brienne and Pod to escape, then she would make the lie convincing as possible.

"That's not going to happen." Brienne said bluntly. "We made a promise to help an protect you, I will not leave you to save my own life."

"I'm not going either." Podrick put in.

"Then I guess our best option for now, is to hide. We could go to the crypts, but Roose must know how often I visited them, it might be the first place they look." Arya said hastily.

"What about the camps of Northmen that are just outside these walls." Podrick asked. The men-at-arms that the Northern Lords had brought with them, had been too numerous to stay within the walls of Winterfell and several lords had their men build camps near Winterfell while they awaited Roose Bolton's order regarding their possible fight with Stannis Baratheon. "Manderly has men out there, maybe they would hide us?"

"None of those camps are near the Hunter's Gate, that's why we chose this gate for our escape." Brienne said tightly, "We would still have a lot of ground to cover before we found a friendly camp. But it might be our best option."

Arya was just about to offer her opinion, when suddenly the clear clang of steel upon steel could be heard. It seemed to be coming in the direction of the main court yard. Arya looked to Brienne, who looked just as confused as Arya felt. A confusion that only deepened when they heard several shouts and cries followed my more sounds that could only be swords clashing against each other. Men were fighting within the walls of Winterfell.

"Manderly must have known." Podrick whispered. "He must have figured out that we didn't have enough time to escape. What if he ordered his men to attack Bolton's men, hoping he could give us enough time to reach safety?"

"What would he gain from that?" Arya asked.

"The plan has failed." Brienne said grimly "You succeeded in killing Ramsay, but you were unable to get away. He's buying you time. This is his desperate attempt to wrestle Winterfell and the North away from the Boltons. He knows his chances of taking the keep tonight are near nonexistent. But he'll still be striking a blow to the Bolton army and he's still hoping you'll get away. Perhaps he thinks that if you reach Stannis in time, he'll make it to Winterfell in time to take advantage of the chaos this night will create and free the rest of the North from Bolton's tyranny."

"But he risks his own life?" Arya said quietly. "All those who have chose to side with the remnants of House Stark are at risk."

"They knew what they were getting into, and they are doing it for their own families. They still might give us the time we need to get away." Brienne reasoned.

"But at what cost?" Arya's voice was low and contemplative. "These were the men who swore loyalty to my father, to my brother. Am I to just leave them to their fate at the hands of Roose Bolton now that they have openly declared against him?"

"You are in no shape to fight!" Brienne countered.

"I'm in no shape to travel either, especially on foot. We'll never make it to Stannis's camp." Arya argued.

"And what am I to tell your sister? What am I to tell Theon if you should die." Brienne snapped.

"I do this for them too." Arya said, "if we end this tonight, there will be no battle for Winterfell."

"There is only three of us Arya, what can we do that would make a difference?" Podrick asked.

"Right." Arya agreed glumly.

Brienne let out an exasperated sigh. "You won't let this go, will you Arya?" She didn't even have to wait for the girl's answer. Instead she just looked at Podrick, "go through that gate, get to Lord Manderly's camp and tell his Master at Arms what is happening here. Maybe they can make it back to this Gate before someone manages to bar it. We're going to need more men inside if we're going to succeed."

Podrick looked at her stunned.

"Go Podrick!" Brienne practically yelled. "Timing is still important, they aren't going to ignore this gate for long."

"Right." Podrick practically yelped and within seconds he was through the gate.

Once he was gone Podrick turned back to Arya. "And I suppose you want to go back inside." She did not sound happy and her frown deepened when she saw Arya gingerly nod her head yes. "Alright," was the only thing she said and then took Arya's arm in order to help her walk back towards entrance that they had originally came from. Nymeria padded quietly behind them. Every once in awhile Brienne would mutter, "this is madness."

Once they were back inside the castle, the calm that had been there before had vanished. The sounds of fighting echoed through the halls. Slowly they began to make their way closer to where the noise was coming from. The closer they went to the main hall, the louder it became. They were nearly to the hall when Brienne brought them to a stop. She looked fervently down the hall, they had yet to come across any stray fighting, but it seemed that most of it was happening either in the court yard or the main hall. It must have helped that they were using the service corridors that many of the combatants wouldn't even know about. This would be a safe enough spot for the youngest Stark girl, at least for a brief moment while Brienne went to scout ahead.

"You stay here." Brienne ordered Arya. "I want to make sure we're not going to walk into a fight unprepared."

"Of course." Arya murmured. Once Brienne let go of her arm, she leaned heavily against the wall. Nymeria stood watch next to her. They both watched quietly as Brienne stalked forward and rounded a corner that turned into a hall way that would take them directly back to the main hall. Her fatigue was catching up to her, and she wondered if it was folly for her to have forced Brienne to help the Lords who had put their lives on the line for her. She gripped her Needle tightly, even though it made her wrist scream with pain. She doubted if it came to it that she would be able to put up much of a fight. It made her all the more glad that Nymeria had finally returned to her. She knew the wolf would protect her should the need arise.

In fact, it was several moments later when Nymeria was the first to sense that something was off. The wolf growled softly and moved protectively in front of her master. Arya peered down the corridor to the place where Brienne had disappeared, as that seemed to be the direction in which Nymeria was concerned with. It wasn't long before not one person, but two hurried around the corner. It looked as if they were fleeing.

Which caused Arya a bit of confusion, because she recognized both of them instantly. Her eyes passed easily over Fat Walda, the woman was not a threat, at least in Arya's eyes. Instead her attention was focused on Roose Bolton, who looked her over with his strange pale eyes. If he was surprised to see her there he did not show it. There might have been a hint of confusion and fear when that gaze landed on Nymeria. Roose's hand slowly started to move its way to the sword at his hip. Nymeria emitted a low growl and instantly he let his hand fall away.

Arya's heart started to thud. Where was Brienne? The hand that held Needle gripped even tighter and she had to grimace past the pain the action shot through her arm. She moved her sword arm slightly, not in an offensive gesture, she just wanted to make sure he knew that she was armed, that Nymeria was not her only line of defense. When he glanced to Needle, his eyes narrowed a little when he saw the blood that stained the blade and then quickly looked back up to Arya.

"Should you not be with your husband, safely locked away in your room?" Roose asked quietly and with obvious suspicion.

Arya blinked at him in confusion. Did he not know? In the confusion that followed after the slain guards had been found had no one thought to check on Arya and Ramsay? Had his body not been found yet? Instead of answering him she asked a question of her own. "Where is Brienne?"

This seemed to give him pause. "That tall woman that's always around Manderly?" He paused for a moment, as if something had suddenly become clear for him. "I haven't seen her since she left the feast, with that boy that follows her around. Shortly before all that confusion came from the main stair well. I suppose they were the cause of that." Suddenly his gaze hardened and his voice sounded dangerous. "Where is my son, Arya?"

"He is where I left him." Arya said careful not tell him the condition in which she left him. She wasn't certain that Roose had any paternal love in his heart for Ramsay, but still he had been Roose's only heir. Arya wasn't sure what his exact reaction would be when he found out about Ramsay's death. Even if he did decide to go violent, she knew she had the advantage in the form of Nymeria if it came to a fight. "If there is fighting going on why are you running in the opposite direction?" She almost winced when the words left her mouth. _Sure, Arya, try to distract the man from asking about his son, who you killed, by implying that he's a coward._ She thought humorlessly to herself.

However, Roose didn't seem offended by her question, "I needed to secure Walda's safety." He said this in a matter-of-fact way. "My men are simply making sure I have the time to do so. I will join them once I'm certain she will be away from the fighting. I had expected Ramsay to do the same with you, once he had heard the fighting. So imagine my surprise that I find you here alone with this," he gave a disdainful look to Nymeria, "animal. I will ask only once more, where is my son?" His hand once again started to move for his sword, apparently he thought he would be able to take on Nymeria and then Arya.

"Dead." It wasn't Arya who had answered directly into Roose's ear. It was Brienne who stood behind Roose, and just as she that one simple word she put her dagger to his throat. While Arya and Roose had been talking, Brienne had made her way back and was surprised to see the two of them conversing. It only took her a few seconds to formulate a plan and put it into action. That was how she managed to make Roose Bolton her hostage.

"Are you alright Arya?" Brienne asked without letting the dagger waiver from Roose's throat.

"I'm fine." Arya said.

"Good. Could you relieve Lord Bolton of his sword, please?" Brienne asked. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, he must have slipped out one of the side doors in the hallway I was scouting, after I had passed by. I never even saw him and Lady Bolton."

Without a word, Arya moved forward. Carefully she removed Roose's weapon from the scabbard. She rested it against the wall, knowing that Nymeria would guard it should Walda become more than just a silent observer and try to go for the weapon. She was about to step away from Roose when she spotted a small dagger on his belt as well. She let a frown touch her lips as she reached for that weapon as well. She held it in her right and and looked at it in horror. "Is this the one you used to kill my brother?" She brought her eyes up to his.

His expression was impassive. He did not show any fear or anger at being held captive, nor did he show any sign of remorse at having killed Robb when he said, "yes. I believe that is the dagger I used."

There was a brief moment where Arya had considered stabbing the small blade into his heart as he stood there looking so calm. Brienne must have known what her thoughts would be. "He's of more use to us alive right now."

Arya looked down at the dagger, with only a hint of remorse and then back at Brienne. "Very well, you obviously have some idea of what to do next…"

"Of course." Brienne said. "Lord Bolton here, is going back to the main hall, where he will order his men to stand down." She turned her head slightly so that she looked at Roose, "you will then order the outside gates to be opened so that the rest of Lord Manderly's men and their allies will have access to the keep. Enough blood has been spilt tonight, you are going to surrender to Lord Manderly and perhaps he will show mercy. Or since he intends to restore the Starks to Winterfell, perhaps he'll let them choose your fate, in which case, I would start praying to your Old Gods."

"And my wife? What will happen to her?" Roose said in his quiet way. "It seems you have already taken my son, will you spare her life?"

Arya looked to the quiet, fat woman who had stood there watching the whole thing with a pale face and wide eyes. She was holding up surprisingly well considering the danger her and her husband were in. "She has done no crime except marry you. She may have been a Frey by birth, and a Bolton by marriage, but she has done nothing wrong. She will be a hostage, but I'll make sure she is treated well." Arya could hear the resignation in her voice and she was too tired to keep the contempt she felt for the woman from seeping through.

"I suppose that is all I can ask. I seem to be at your mercy." Roose said. It was then that he let a little emotion slip on to his face. It wasn't fear that he showed, no it was anger and frustration, he knew he had been beaten.

"Then come Lord Bolton, let us tell Lord Manderly that he has liberated Witnerfell." Brienne said, a humorless smile touched her lips. She tightened her grip on Roose's arm and started to slowly march him down the hall, with her other hand still holding the dagger at his throat.

Arya motioned for Lady Walda to follow after them with the dagger that she still held in her right hand. The fat woman followed the order silently. Arya looked at the dagger that had claimed her brother's life one last time. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about what Robb might have looked like when the steel pierced his heart. That image, the pain from her injuries, and the fatigue from the whole day was almost unbearable. But then Nymeria whined slightly, to let her know that she wasn't alone, and that she would be able to rest as soon as Roose surrendered. Arya opened her eyes and allowed a small smile to curve upon her lips. She looked down to Nymeria, "come on girl. Let's finish this." With those words she started to follow behind the other three, the dagger and her Needle still clutched in her hands.

—

Theon was with Olyvar when the riders entered Stannis's camp. The red banners adorned with the roaring giant of House Umber had been easy to spot against the gray backdrop of the winter sky. The moment he saw them his heart dropped. Lord Umber was supposed to be at Winterfell, he was supposed to be helping Lord Manderly. Why were some of his men here? Why hadn't they stayed there, they were supposed to stay there so Stannis would have more support against Roose and his allies once Stannis's army arrived at Winterfell. Had something happened? Had plans changed? Was Arya okay?

"Olyvar, go find Sansa. She's probably with Princess Shireen," Theon's voice sounded distant when he gave his friend the order. It seemed like a struggle to keep himself calm. He wanted to go desperately to the command tent where the riders were bound to go first, so they could report to the King about what had brought them there. He looked over to where Olyvar still stood, "she'll want to know the news too, I'll meet the both of you at the command tent."

Olyvar's face seemed to mirror Theon's worried look, but he nodded his head and managed to say, "I'll find her. We'll be with you as soon as we can." He paused, then offered Theon what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm sure everything is okay. This could be good news." Then he turned away to do what had been asked of him.

Theon let out a shaky sigh as his friend walked away, and then hastily started to make his way to where he knew Stannis and the camp's newly arrived visitors would be. When he reached the tent he wanted to just storm inside, but he knew the guards would stop him. So he forced himself to stop, and was just about to ask the guards to tell the King that he was there, when the tent flaps opened and Ser Davos stepped outside.

The older man looked surprised to see him there and then offered Theon a small smile. "I was just about to fetch you, my Lord. There's news." He didn't wait for Theon to say anything, instead he just turned and held the flaps open so Theon could enter.

When Theon did, he saw that it wasn't just some of Lord Umber's men who had rode into camp. The Greatjon himself was seated in a chair across from Stannis. Theon frowned in confusion, and then looked to Stannis. "Your Grace, what is it, what's happened?"

"It seems our task has become that much simpler." Was Stannis's reply. The man showed no expression as to what that could possibly mean. Theon had noticed in the days since they left Castle Black, that the King was a hard man to read. His words could have meant anything, from Roose Bolton having discovered their plans to take Winterfell, to Roose Bolton having some how died, thus leaving the North wide open for the taking. Theon could not tell if the news was good or bad.

"I, I don't think I understand." Theon said hoping that he had managed to keep the frustration from his voice and the fear from his face. He must not have done a very good job of it because the moment Lord Umber had seen his face the man let out a loud, booming laugh. Theon turned his attention from Stannis to Jon.

"Your Grace, you're scaring the poor boy." Umber brought his attention from Stannis to Theon. "What our King meant to say, was that Winterfell is no longer under Bolton control." He gave a wide satisfied smile.

Theon wasn't sure he had heard that right, "what do you mean? How?"

"That Stark girl managed to kill Bolton's bastard and that Brienne of Tarth woman somehow subdued Roose Bolton himself." At this Lord Umber let out another laugh. "She marched the man, with a dagger to his throat, right into the main hall amidst the fighting that broke out during the wedding feast, and forced him to command his men to stop fighting and then he surrendered right then and there to Lord Manderly."

Theon's first thought was, _Arya killed Ramsay Bolton? How?_ And that was quickly followed by, _Wedding feast? Who had gotten married? _He hadn't been surprised by Brienne's part, the woman was indeed formidable, but there had obviously been more to the story. However the most eloquent thing he could think of was to repeat the word, "how?"

"Lord Umber was just about to enlighten us." Stannis said with a pointed look to his guest.

"Lord Manderly did all the planning, everything was already set into motion before I even showed up at Winterfell." The Greatjon seemed almost hesitant to go into any specifics, when Theon had showed up at the Last Hearth he had gotten the distinct impression that the boy had feelings for the youngest Stark girl. He doubted Theon would enjoy certain parts of the story. "The plan involved the Lady Arya actually going through with a wedding, Wyman thought it would be fitting."

"What?" Theon's voice was low, and there was more than a little anger coloring his tone.

"Relax, boy," Umber said. "The bastard didn't even last the night. Manderly had a weapon planted in the room they were to share. She managed to kill him. Lady Brienne and that Payne boy were supposed to whisk her away from Winterfell before anyone even found Ramsay Snow's body. Something went wrong, though. They were found out or something. The night got a little chaotic. Manderly kept a shrewd eye on Lord Bolton at the feast, and at some point one of Bolton's guards came to report the deaths of some his men. Mandery tired to distract Roose, hoping he could dissuade him from acting rashly, but I think Roose suspected Wyman was up to something the moment he opened his mouth. I believe Roose would have had his guards seize Manderly and his men if Wyman hadn't given his own men the signal to attack first. The men who were loyal to our cause tried to get to Bolton, but in the madness of it all he some how slithered away with that fat wife of his. Before we knew it, Brienne of Tarth walked right through that madness with him as her hostage, and managed to end the fighting. Lots of injuries, some minor, some not so minor, and a few deaths, but it could have ended up a lot worse. We were fighting to give Lady Arya a chance to escape, and to kill as many of those Bolton, Freys, and any of their damn sympathizers as we could. If anything we thought you could take advantage of the fact that we bloodied them before they put our little rebellion down. But we actually managed to win."

"So, Winterfell is okay," said a voice from the tent entrance. The men all looked to see the flushed face of Sansa Stark. "My sister, she's okay too." She must have come in to hear the last little bit, the part where Umber said they won.

"So it would seem," said Stannis and for a brief moment, Theon thought he heard a bit of relief in the solomn man's voice.

It was only then that Theon allowed himself to feel some sort of comfort. After weeks of worrying about Arya, he finally knew for certain that she was alright. That she was in no eminent danger and that at least one of the threats against her was now dead. "You said Arya killed Ramsay, what about Roose what happened to him?"

"He's awaiting the King's justice." Lord Ember said with a nod of his head to Stannis.

"And Lord Baelish?" Sansa asked before anyone could say anything else.

"He left not long after I arrived at Winterfell." Umber answered. "Something about taking care of some business in the Vale."

Stannis raised his eyebrows at that news. "Trouble in the Vale?" Umber shrugged his shoulders at this, he didn't know what had called Baelish away, nor did he particularly care. Stannis however was no doubt thinking of how he could use that to his advantage. Perhaps he could recruit those lords unhappy with Petyr Baelish to his side. After a few seconds of silence, Stannis spoke again, "I must ask Lord Umber, why are you here bringing this news, I'm surprised you didn't just send a messenger. It isn't easy traveling with the snows becoming more and more frequent."

"I don't trust anyone else to do the job I must do. Bringing you the news was not my only task. The loyal Stark bannermen want their rightful Lord restored to Winterfell. I'm off to fetch Rickon Stark. Once he's safely returned home, and bends his knee to you, the rest of the North will follow." Umber said.

This seemed to please Stannis. "Very well, I can offer you a few of my own men to ride with you. I too, wish to ensure Rickon Stark's safe journey to Winterfell."

If Umber was insulted by the words of mistrust, he did not let on. Instead he answered back with, "aye, I would appreciate the extra men. We were not able to round up all the Bolton sympathizers and it would be good to have a few extra swords at our disposal."

Theon barely paid attention to the small conversation that had gone on after Sansa had entered the tent. He had been coming up with plans of his own and when he noticed that the conversation seemed to have come to a halt, he spoke up. "Your Grace," he said respectfully, "I would ask permission to ride ahead of your host. I wish to leave in the morning. I would like to reach Winterfell as soon as possible." He could not keep the desperation from his voice. Now that there were seemingly no obstacles in his way, he wanted nothing more than to go to Arya with all haste.

"I would go too." Olyvar spoke up, he had followed Sansa into the tent.

"And me as well." Sansa added.

Theon smiled slightly at the two who seemed just as eager as he did to be reunited with those they had parted from. But his eyes never left Stannis as he seemed to be giving the request some thought. Theon thought the King was worried that Theon would go against his promise to go to the Iron Islands now that Winterfell had been liberated and Arya was safe. "Once I reach Winterfell, I see that everything is well in hand, and you give the order for Yara and I to go to my father, I will. I made you a promise, Your Grace."

"It will be dangerous." Stannis reminded him, "Lord Umber is concerned that there are men out there still loyal to Roose Bolton."

"Then send us with guards if you will." Sansa said.

Stannis remained silent while he gave the idea some more thought. There was no real reason for them to stay with the camp, especially if he sent a small group of men to watch over them. "Very well, you may go."

After that there was some brief talk, finalizing the plans for those who would leave come first light the next day. But it was not long before everyone beside Stannis was filing out of the tent. Before Theon left to start his travel preparations, Umber rested his hand on the Theon's shoulder. "You should know something before you leave." His voice was uncharacteristically serious.

"What?" Theon asked carefully.

"That night, when Lady Arya killed Ramsay, she hasn't talked about it, with anyone." There was real concern in Umber's voice. "But she was pretty badly beaten. She did not come out of that fight unscathed, and I'm not sure all her wounds are physical. She's going to need someone to talk to her about what happened."

Theon felt a rage course through him as he realized what Umber had been implying. It made him wish Ramsay were alive so he could kill him all over again. "Do.. Do you think he forced himself on her?" His voice shook with both anger and fear.

"I don't know. If he did, he certainly paid the price for it. Who knows, maybe she was able to kill him before anything happened. Like I said she won't talk about it." Umber said not unsympathetically. "But I would be willing to bet that she would open up to you, I get the feeling there is something between the two of you. I didn't have much of a chance to talk to her in the days leading up to her wedding. Roose and Ramsay kept a pretty tight leash on her, I don't know how she snuck around to plot with that Brienne woman. But when I was able to have a few words with her after Winterfell was secure, the first thing she did was to ask me about you, even before her sister and brothers."

"I'll, I'll do what I can." Theon said hollowly, even after all she had been through her first thoughts were still of him. And he had done an excellent job of protecting her, he thought bitterly. And if she had to live through that nightmare, he wasn't sure he could do anything to help her.

"Just be there for her," Umber said and then stalked off to make his own preparations.

—

There were seven other people who set out with Theon the following morning. Olyvar and Sansa of course were with him, but Yara had decided to come with and it seemed that Stannis wanted to send a guard for each of them. It made no difference to Theon, the smaller group of people would make it to Winterfell long before Stannis would be able to march his whole army there.

Traveling with a full host of men had proved to be slow going especially with the unpredictability of the snow storms that seemed to come and go. At times they were forced to stop and make camp for several days, to wait out a storm and getting the army moving again proved to hinder their progress just as much. Theon had been impatient with the whole process. Thankfully, with Winterfell no longer being held by the Boltons, the only thing in his way of reuniting with Arya was the distance between the two of them. He had eagerly pressed his little party to their limits in his goal to reach Winterfell as fast as possible.

It only took them a few days. Thankfully, the weather had been cold, but otherwise calm making the navigation of the road easy and for once they did not have to be stealthy while they travelled. Even still there was sense of relief when they were within view of Winterfell. Even with the keep in sight, the last leg of their journey seemed unending. Eventually they made it to the gates and they were immediately opened for them. Theon couldn't help but wonder if they had been expected.

He was answered fairly quickly when he saw both Podrick and Brienne standing there to greet them. "We wondered how long it would take for you to get here, once Umber delivered the news to Stannis." Podrick said with a smile.

Theon offered both a small, relieved smile. While his concern was mostly for Arya, he was happy to see his that his friends were safe. "It's good to see you two." Theon was the first to dismount his horse, Olyvar quickly followed suit and then moved to help Sansa off her horse. Yara had slid gracefully off her horse before anyone could even offer to help. While everyone else was busy seeing to the horses, saying their hellos and making introductions, Theon's eyes searched the court yard, obviously looking for any sign of Arya.

Podrick must have seen the anxiety Theon's eyes, because he managed to covertly slip over to where Theon stood. "She's in the Godswood. She seems to spend a lot of time there. She asked us to go and fetch her if you happened to arrive today, but Brienne and I thought the two of you would want a moment of privacy for your reunion." He saw that Theon nodded his head to show that he understood, but Podrick thought he saw some hesitancy in his eyes. Theon threw a concerned glance at Sansa, Olyvar and the woman Pod thought might have been Theon's sister. "Go on, Brienne and I can take care of them."

The relief was visible in Theon's face and this time his smile was a little more genuine. "Thank you, Pod. We'll catch up later, I'm sure you have plenty of stories to tell." Then without waiting for a response he slipped away from the crowd and headed for the one place he knew Arya would find some peace.

It didn't take him long to make his way through the wood to the heart tree. His first sight of her after months of being apart was her back. She looked so small standing there before the sacred tree that represented the Old Gods. Nymeria stood next to her. The wolf must have sensed him, because she craned her neck to look at him, then let out a small whine to get Arya's attention. It didn't seem to work, because Arya still stared at the tree, she must have been lost deeply within her own thoughts.

Theon let a small smile touch his lips. He cleared his throat and gently called out to her, "I thought I told you not to wander these woods alone." He said remembering the time he had made her promise to only walk the godswood of Winterfell within his or Robb's company. Gods, that seemed like a thousand years ago.

He watched as her body stiffened at the sound of his voice. _Had she imagined that she heard his voice? _There had been times when she had been standing before the weir tree and she thought she had heard someone whisper her name. But this time, it was no whisper that had called to her now. She turned slowly to look at him, her grey eyes wide. "I..I think I can take care of myself, Theon Greyjoy."

They stood there looking at each other for a few seconds, just taking the sight of each other in. Both of them probably in a little bit of shock at finally seeing each other after so long a separation. On some level they probably both wondered if the moment was real, or if it was some sweet dream that they would soon wake up from.

Eventually the spell of just being able to look at each other broke, and Arya was the first to move. She started out with a slow stumble as if her body had just started to wake up from a long sleep. She gained momentum as she as got closer to him and eventually she crashed into him. He caught her easily enough, but he stumbled back a little as her arms slipped under the cloak he wore and wrapped around his waist. His own arms circled around her small body protectively. She rested her forehead on his chest and took a deep breath. For the first time since returning to Winterfell, Arya felt like she was truly home the moment he embraced her.

"Gods, I missed you," she said in a muffled voice, she had not bothered to lift her head up when she spoke.

He allowed his head to dip forward and he placed a small kiss on her head. "I know, Little Wolf, I missed you too."

Her body stiffened again at the nickname that Ramsay had tried so hard to twist around so that he could hurt her, but only momentarily, still not moving her head to look up at him, "call me that again?" Even through her muffled voice he could hear the urgency in her request.

"My Little Wolf." Theon said softly into her hair.

Finally she lifted her head so that she could look up at him, a small, satisfied smile playing upon her lips. She had been so afraid that she would be repulsed by being called that again. But she wasn't. When Theon used those words, it felt right, natural, because she really was Theon's, the same as he was her's. Ramsay Bolton could not touch that, he could not take that away from her, even though he had tried so hard to do so. She lifted herself up on her tiptoes and gave him one quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you."

He only answered her with a tentative smile. Now that he was closer to her, he was able to look closely at her face. The bruise around her eye was fading, but still noticeable, and the smile faded. She seemed to sense his anger at seeing the marks Ramsay had left on her. She whispered to him gently, "I paid him back in full. He's dead now."

He gently lifted one arm from the embrace and touched darkened area near her eye. His finger traced down her cheek and jaw, to the bruises on her neck that were also fading away. His lips now curled in an angry scowl. His voice however was still soft, but his tone angry. "I should have been here."

"I'm happy you weren't." Arya said, trying to keep her voice light and failing miserably.

Theon's gaze snapped back up to her eyes. She caught the hurt that flashed across his face when he asked, "why?"

"Ramsay would have reveled in torturing you. He threatened to do it several times, he was quite certain that he would have had the chance to do so at some point in the future. I don't like thinking about what he could have done. He was _creative _in the ways he hurt people." She answered simply. "It scared me to think of what he could have done to you. He would have used you to hurt me and he would have succeeded."

Theon let out a small frustrated, sigh and shook his head gently, "gods Arya, how did they get you to even agree to marry the man?"

"Littlefinger told me he had you as a hostage. He seemed certain he would find Sansa and said he would turn her over to the Cersei, not to mention he also threatened pretty much all those who had already helped us, Lord Royce specifically." Arya answered. "I had no way of knowing if he was lying or not until Brienne and Pod showed up with Lord Manderly. By then the plan was for me to actually marry Ramsay. It worked out okay."

Theon let out a dark chuckle at that. "Yes I suppose it did work out alright."

She gave him one pleading look, "but I don't want to talk about those things right now. My injuries are healing and soon they'll just be an awful memory. Winterfell is no longer in the hands of an enemy and you're actually here! Just let me enjoy this moment without thinking about all the bad ones that led us here."

This time, when Theon laughed he showed real amusement. "How could I refuse, Little Wolf." He knew that there were things that they needed to talk about. She would want to know about Jon, Rickon, and Bran. He had no doubt that Sansa, Olyvar, and Pod were probably waiting patiently for them at the castle. And most important of all she needed to tell him about what happened the night she had killed Ramsay. But he could coax that out of her later, right now he wanted to just _be_ with her.

The fingertips of his hand that were still gently touching her bruised neck, moved that so that they cradled the back of her neck. He looked at her carefully, searching her eyes to see if even this small act alarmed her, for he still wasn't certain to what extant Ramsay had hurt her. He saw no fear within her eyes and he smiled a little in relief. "I love you," He whispered, then moved so that his mouth could touch hers lightly. She had already kissed him, but it had been a brief contact on the lips that could hardly even be called a kiss. He wanted to be certain she was okay with it.

Her response to the kiss was deepen it almost immediately and her grip on him tightened almost as if she was afraid he would disappear if she didn't hold on to him physically. When Nymeria had found her way back to Arya, Arya felt like a piece of her soul had returned to her. Now, being reunited with Theon, it seemed like her soul was complete.

**Author's Note: **

To jean d'arc: Thank you so much! It was so hard to write that last chapter, it means a lot that you think it was well written. Hah, it felt good to write Ramsay's death!

To Lord of Carrion: Thank you so much for you review. And yes, I do feel like Ramsay seems to win to easily and to often in the show. One of the reasons it felt so satisfying when I wrote his death scene. I'm so with you in the factStannis is the best for the throne… I am very much not a Daenerys fan, at all, and I fear that she might be end game in canon.

To ATP: Thanks! Part of what made writing that scene so difficult was the fact that I didn't want Arya to be able to kill him easily. It wouldn't have been realistic, but I also didn't want to to be completely helpless either. I'm glad I managed to convey that.

To Narutoske: Thank you! Sorry this update came a little later then I would have liked. Writer's black has been killing me lately. I hope this chapter is also to your liking.


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the delay. September has been another one of those bad months for me. Sometimes my life really gets in the way of my creative process. I feel awful for not being very consistent with my updates. Especially when I'm so darn close to finishing the story. I've been sitting on this particular part for awhile now, with every intention of adding more to it. However, I just can't make what I wanted to write work, so I just left the chapter as is. It's pretty much all Arya and Theon, I figured why not. They've been separated for a long time now.

**Chapter 34**

On the first night of Theon's return to Winterfell there had been a modest feast in honor of Sansa's homecoming. It was nowhere near the extravagant ones that had been held there when King Robert had visited so long ago. Nor, was it as big as the ones that Lord Bolton had deemed necessary to give the Northern lords he so desperately wanted as allies just a few short weeks ago. But there were still far too many people gathered within the main hall for supper than Theon would have liked.

He would have been happy if it had just been Arya, Sansa, Olyvar, Pod, Brienne, and himself. They only had a small part of the afternoon to talk and trade tales of what they had gone through over the last few weeks. It hadn't been enough time. There was still so much to talk about. Arya had told part of her story and she only touched briefly on the wedding that she had been forced to endure. She had explained how she had killed Ramsay, but she did not go into details. For his part he hadn't told her about his arrangements with Stannis and that he would have to soon leave Winterfell again.

He had been able to talk to her about Jon and his foolish mission to recruit the Wildings. And the hardest thing he had to do was tell her that Bran was still missing. That he, too, had gone North of the Wall for some secretive reason that he hadn't bothered to explain to Osha or Yara before he had left their company. Arya took it surprisingly well, simply stating that he might be missing but that in her heart she knew he was still alive.

There was still so much to talk about, but most of those things Theon did not want to talk to her about in front of other people, even those who were part of their inner-circle. Which was why, when they sat down to supper and they were joined by half a dozen other Northern lords, Theon had not been pleased. He had known that it would be difficult to find time alone with Arya, and that she would have to divide her attention between himself, her sister, and their friends, but he did not expect that the lords who had helped liberate Winterfell, would also demand her attentions as well. He knew he was being selfish, but as the night wore on he grew sullen as more and more of her and her sister's time was monopolized by those lords.

Eventually, because of his frustration he managed to slip out of the main hall unnoticed. He had been reluctant to leave Arya's side, especially after their long separation, and it was especially difficult to convince himself that she would remain safe even in his absence. Rationally he knew that she was safe, but he had a feeling the irrational fear of something happening to her would stay present within him for a very long time. But some how he managed to put it aside so that he could escape the endless conversation that seemed to extend beyond supper. It had been even more tedious since Arya was busy with Winterfell's guests. He knew that she would probably be the only one to miss him and that when the talking was done, she would find her way to him. Perhaps then they could have a serious conversation.

Theon had every intention of going to the room that had been his throughout his childhood at the castle, but soon found himself wandering Winterfell. Eventually he found himself at the Maester's tower, and even surprised himself by knocking at the door of what at one time had been Maester Luwin's tower. A small man with the a Maester's chain and robes answered, but Theon did not recognize him. It was a bitter reminder that Winterfell was a different place than when he had left it, despite the efforts that had been made to bring it back to Stark standards.

Theon stood there silently for a moment, taking in the man who had taken Luwin's place. He wondered if this Maester had come with the Boltons or if the Citadel had sent this man to replace Luwin. He doubted that if there was any chance that this man would be loyal to Roose Bolton, he would not allowed into this chamber freely. Arya or any of the shrewder lords that are counseling her would see to that. He choose to believe that this man was the new Maester who would serve Winterfell, and even if he did serve the Boltonsit was only because they were in possession of the castle. Finally the man was the first to talk. "Can I help you with something Lord Theon?"

It took a moment before Theon gathered his thoughts. He hadn't been entirely sure as to why he had come there. He had about to open his mouth with an excuse, but instead the small Maester spoke for him. "Does anything ail you? Perhaps you think you might have some trouble sleeping." He pulled the door open further and made a move toward his medicine stores."

Theon let an amused smile curve upon his lips. "No, that's not it." He paused a moment as he stepped into the room. "Well maybe I will, but I'm not sure I need to take any magic potion you have that would put me to sleep." He said as he watched the small man Look through his bottles and flasks for a draught that would help help Theon sleep, only to abruptly stop when Theon said he didn't need it. Then the Maester canted his head to the side as if giving Theon's problem some thought.

"Well, if it's a stillness of the mind you seek, perhaps some reading material. I always find that a book is an easy way lull a man to sleep." The Maester with a smile. This time he moved over to a book shelf that held many large, dusty tomes. "Now where did I put it. When I was going through Maester Luwin's things, he had a book put aside for some reason. I believe it might interest you. Ahh, there it is!" It was on a lower shelf, it was a medium sized book, and it looked fairly new compared to the others that had been on the shelf.

Theon watched all this with a hint of amusement, the man was certainly enthusiastic about his job. The Maester hadn't even given him a chance to refuse the offer of borrowing a book before he had handed him the volume. Theon glanced down at the title and saw that it was a brief history of the Iron Islands, written by some other Maester. It was curious that Maester Luwin had put that particular title aside. It interested Theon enough to reach for the book, and once it was in his hands he said, "um, thank you Maester…" he trailed off realizing he didn't have a name to go with the man.

"Medrick, my Lord." The man said easily, "I'm Maester Medrick. I serve at Hornwood, and was brought here by Lord Bolton. Lord Manderly asked me to serve as Winterfell's Maester until the Citadel sends a replacement."

"Well, thank you Maester Medrick." Theon said with a nod. "I'm sure this will help to relax me. I'll let you get back to your work." He said in parting, and once the door to Luwin's, now Medrick's , if only for a short while, solar was shut, Theon quickly turned to make his way to his own chambers.

Once he was there he sat at the edge of the bed and started to carefully leaf through the book that had come into his possession. There had been slips of paper that had been stuck in between pages that looked as if Maester Luwin had marked certain passages that he had wished to study in more detail. As Theon had noted before, the book seemed newer, and there were many bookmarked pages near the back of the book. When he flipped to those pages he had realized that it was a brief summery of his own family's history, and it was as recent as his own grandfather's rule of Pyke. Maester Luwin had even added a few notes of his own on Quellon Greyjoy, on things that the man had done even after this particular book had been written.

What little was said about his grandfather, fascinated Theon, what Luwin had written about him on the piece of parchment that had been stuck within the book, even more so. He had not known much about Quellon, except that he ruled his lands wise, and fairly. The most surprising thing had been that the man seemed to want to move away from the Old Ways, and wanted to integrate more fully with the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Theon did not know his father well, but from what Yara had told him about Balon, it seemed that he was the complete opposite of Quellon. And he wondered why the son had turned out so differently then the father. He couldn't help but wonder if at some point Maester Luwin had every intention of showing him this book and the Maester's notes, especially after they had found out that Balon had started raiding Northern shores again. It was as if he had wanted Theon to know that not all Greyjoys were as set on the Old Way as Balon was. That there was a different way than that, and that other Greyjoys in the past ruled differently. To tell Theon that when Pyke was passed to him, that he could rule differently. He wondered why the old Maester had not showed it to him before he had left Winterfell. Perhaps there had not been enough time, and now the man was gone.

Theon still had these thoughts swirling around in his head when he heard his door being pushed open and an over dramatic sigh emitting from the person who had disturbed his contemplations. With an amused smirk, he looked up from the book he still had in his hands to see Arya slip through the small gap in the door, watched as she leaned back against the door so that it would shut and she could use it to rest the weight of her body against it.

"Seven Hells, it's during dinners like those where I wish it was just you, me, and Olyvar wandering the Riverlands again." Arya said with a hint of exhaustion.

"No you don't. Remember the constant worry about being caught, the lack of decent food, never getting a good night's sleep, the fact that we didn't know how the rest of your family fared." He said as he carefully closed the book and set it down beside him on the bed.

"You're right," she agreed. "I don't. But things did seem to be a lot simpler." She gave him a small smile as she started to walk toward him. Her eyes fell upon the book when she reached the bed, then brought them back up with a look of accusation. "You left me to fend for myself with those tiresome lords to read a book?"

"You seemed busy, and you weren't paying me any attention. I grew bored." He said, not without a bit of annoyance in his tone. He looked up at her, "are they always so relentless in their demands of your time?" He reached out for hands and tugged her gently forward so that she had no choice but to fall gracefully into his lap. He slipped his arms easily around her waist, and closed his eyes content in the fact that she was in his arms again.

"Always." She muttered sullenly. "I get the feeling that most of them have very specific ideas about what should happen to me once Rickon returns to Winterfell."

"Hmm?" He asked quietly. "And what is it that they think should happen to you?" He asked resting his chin on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen a little at his question, and he felt his arms tighten around her when he realized she didn't like the answer she was about to give him.

"Why to be married off of course." Arya said bitterly. She was tired of being used as a pawn when it came to marital matters. She had been promised to one man in order for Robb to gain and ally, and then married off to another as some sort of political scheme. She was sick of the game. "Sansa is still married to Tyrion, and now that Ramsay is dead, I no longer have anything stopping me from remarrying. Many of the lords here are vying for my hand either for their sons or some other relative, if not themselves. It seems many of them would be honored by the chance to be bound to the Starks by marriage."

There was silence as Theon let her words sink in. He wasn't stupid, he had known that this problem would come up again. Who would have thought it would have been an issue so soon after her _first_ husband died only days before? Finally when he did speak, he moved so that he could murmur softly in her ear. "You know, there is a simple solution to this problem."

"And what might that solution be?" She asked curiously.

Again it took a moment for him to say anything. "You marry me." Theon said simply.

She pulled away slightly from him, only enough so his chin no longer rested on her shoulder and that she could look at him fully, if only to see if he was being serious. "What?"

"We've already agreed that at some point we would probably marry." Theon said. "It would certainly stop any would be suiters from harassing you in the future. We love each other Arya, I'm sick of having to worry about someone else making some sort of claim on you." There was a trace of a frown upon his lips. The truth was, he had already made up his mind to discuss the topic of marriage with her when he had the chance. He still had to go to the Iron Islands, and it concerned him to think that he would have to leave her alone at Winterfell when he did. He knew many lords would see her as a prize, and that someone might try to use her again in this way. He remembered Sansa saying that she felt in a way Tyrion was protecting her from that, because they were lawfully married. He could do the same for Arya, at least he could protect her in some way during his absence.

Arya's brow furrowed. "Could we really do that?"

"Why not? If we exchange our vows in front of the weir tree, we need no septon. There is no one here to object, save the lords who wish to have you within their grasp for their own purposes. They have no real power over us. At the moment you are not promised to anyone, and I doubt my father had made any promises on my behalf. If we married soon, no one could make us marry anyone else." He said.

Arya doubted that it could be that simple. It was true, for her, there was no one to object to this marriage, her parents were dead and Robb too. The head of her House was a mere child, and she doubted anyone expected Rickon to arrange for her to be married. And even if he did, it would be on the advice of probably one of these noble lords who had their own agendas. She supposed Stannis might have a say in the marriages that went on between the noble houses in his realm. Especially in cases like hers were she had no one to speak on her behalf. But then, for the time being, Stannis was not at Winterfell. Theon on the other hand, his father was still the head of House Greyjoy, but he was not here either. And the moment he sent reavers to raid the Northern shores, it seemed he had given up on his son.

Her eyes had not left his face as she contemplated his words. She let the silence draw on as she studied his wxpression. She could see that he had thought about this, and in his eyes there was a certainty she saw there that made heart quicken. _Gods, she loved him. _He wanted her for her, not because she was a Stark, or because he wanted to possess her. Since the moment they admitted their true feelings for each other she had known that was the case, but now after living through Ramsay's attentions, and now the the lords that only cared about her House, it made her happy to be reminded that Theon had stayed constant in his affections.

There was really only one answer she could give him. She tilted her head forward and brushed his lips in a very light kiss. "Are you sure you know what you're getting into Lord Theon, the last man I married ended up dead."

There was relief evident in the smile he offered her. "I'll take my chances." He lifted a hand to let his finger tips brush the fading bruises on her neck. "And death was too kind a fate for him." He looked at her carefully. His voice turning into very faint whisper. "What happened that night Little Wolf?"

"It isn't important." She brushed aside his question.

"Yes it is." He stubbornly persisted. "You've told no one what happened save that you killed him. He did more to you, we've all seen the marks and there are moments when you get this haunted look in your eyes. What happened?"

After another pregnant pause, Arya tore her gaze away from his. "He made me feel weak." She talked so softly that Theon had to strain to hear her. He hit me, he shoved me to the ground, and he tried to choke the life out of me. There are times when I still think I can feel his hands around my throat. He is still making me feel weak. There are times when I'm alone when I have to remind myself that he is dead, that he's not going corner me and visit some fresh nightmare upon me. I sometimes fear it's always going to be that way."

"It has to get easier. I'll help you in any way I can. I'm not the only one who will." He told her gently. He paused a moment, "did…did he do anything else to you?"

Again her brow furrowed, and she gave him a hard look. "You mean besides mentally and physically abusing me? Are you asking if he forced himself on me? Would that make a difference in how you felt about me if he had?" She knew it was an irrational accusation. But some small part of her feared that if Ramsay had raped her, that Theon would think less of her.

He shot her a confused and frustrated look. "What? No, of course not! I only ask because, Arya, I need to know what happened to you. If I'm to help you heal, I have to know everything. And sometimes just talking about things helps. I've already told you how I felt about you, nothing is going to change that, especially nothing that Bolton's bastard may or may not have done to you."

She searched his face for any sign of deception and of course saw none. She leaned forward, closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his as an apology. Only then did she say anything, "that night, he wanted to, he even tried. That was when I started fighting him back in earnest. That's why he grew so angry he tried to strangle me. I managed to struggle away from him, got to Needle before he could try again, slashed him in the stomach and then pierced him in the heart. He didn't get a chance to touch me in that way."

"He got what he deserved." Theon said quietly. "Again, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"It's okay. You were busy taking care of other problems." Still not moving from where her forehead rest, she simply added, "please could we talk of something else. What happened that night, and for all those weeks we were separated are in the past. I'd rather look forward. When do we put the plan of us marrying into action?"

"Would tomorrow be too soon?" He said with a faint smile.

This time she did pick her head up and she pulled back so she could look at him once more. Her eyebrow raised in question. "Why so soon?"

"I would prefer us to be married before King Stannis arrives." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I don't think he would object to our match. In fact him might welcome it, the Starks have promised to back his claim on the throne. If you were to marry me, the Starks who are loyal to the King would have close ties to House Greyjoy. But I do not want to take the chance of him disapproving. If we're married before he arrives, he can do nothing about it."

"There's something more," Arya said studying him closely. "What aren't you telling me."

Theon let out a small sigh. "I'm not hiding anything from you, I just didn't know how to approach the topic."

"It seems like now is a good time."

"I suppose it is." He paused for a few moments, trying to think of how to frame what he was going to say to her. He chose to go with the most direct way, "I told Stannis I would go to Pyke to try and persuade my father to back Stannis's claim. Yara has agreed to help me with that task. I'm hoping my father will be more amendable if she agreed that bending the knee to Stannis was the wisest course of action for the Iron Islands. I had hoped that you would agree to marry me before I left so that I would not have to worry about losing you yet again to some other noble lord." He said keeping his tone light at the last, and offered her what he hoped to be a charming smirk.

With a frown, Arya shook her head in disbelief. "You really think you can talk your father into following Stannis. I thought he was fiercely independent, I thought all the Ironborn were. You had always thought him to be a dangerous man and now you're going there to _treat _with him as an ambassador for what he would no doubt think a foreign king."

Theon's eyes flickered momentarily to the book beside them on the bed, and remembered what he had read about his grandfather, who seemed so different from Balon. "Not all of the Ironborn are that way. Not even every Greyjoy feels that way. Now Yara is on our side, maybe he'll see reason. I am his heir after all, and if he chooses not to back Stannis, then that means Stannis will remove my father from power and make me Lord of Pyke and my sister would support me." That last was said quietly.

"Lord of Pyke…" Arya repeated after him. She had known that at some point it would would come to pass that Theon would have to go home to take his father's place. By law Pyke would pass to him once his father died. She had supposed that there was some selfish part of her that had hoped that once he had sided against his father he would lose that title. But it seemed that would not be the case, and if she was Theon's wife, she would have to go with him, leaving Winterfell.

"Are you sure you still want to marry me?" He asked.

Arya turned the question around in her mind. She remembered earlier in the day when she had seen him in the godswood after being away from him for so long. She had been at Winterfell for weeks, and both during the awful times that the Boltons controlled it and even after they had been ousted, her childhood home did not feel like _home._ No, the moment she felt at peace was when she had been reunited with Theon. He was home now. She had grown up being told that when she was old enough to be wed, she would leave Winterfell and help run the castle of some noble lord. At least now she would be with someone who understood her and who loved her.

Arya gave Theon an annoyed look. "Don't be stupid. Of course I still want to marry you." She pause for a second. "And I'm going with you and Yara when you go to Pyke."

"No you're not." Theon said, with a hint of amusement in his tone. "My father is not going to be happy about this marriage. You are not Ironborn and he's very much of the Old Way, not only that, it will bind our two houses together. I doubt he has any love for the Wolf. If I do not receive a civil welcome, I fear for what he would do to you Little Wolf." He could see her begin to come up with her arguments, and he touched a finger to her lips. "Please do not fight me on this."

She frowned, she did not like the thought of being parted with him so soon, (even if it would be a few weeks before he departed) and she did not like the thought of him going into what could be a dangerous situation alone. Of course he would be with his sister, but she still wasn't sure how much she trusted the Greyjoy girl. But she also did not want to fight with him, at least not at the present moment. They were together, and she had just agreed to marry him, it would ruin the moment if she had chosen to press the issue. Instead, she let out a resigned sigh and said, "fine, we'll discuss this later."

"Fine." He said with a bit of resignation. He knew she would press this issue, but he would let the issue die for now, but he resolved not to let her have her way. She had stumbled into enough danger over the last few months, he wasn't about to let her stumble into it again.

"Good," she said pleased that he was willing to come back to the topic. Then she allowed herself a small smile, "for now, let us discuss what our plans for tomorrow are."

—

The plans that Arya and Theon had come up with actually succeeded without any problems. The next day the morning was spent talking with Sansa, Olyvar, Podrick, and Brienne and informing them of what they planned to do that afternoon after the midday meal. Theon had even approached his sister with the news of his intention to marry Arya that day. She had even consented to be at the ceremony.

After everyone had eaten their midday meal, Theon, Arya, and the tiny group of people they had told, assembled in front of the weir tree. It was not nearly as formal and crowded as the previous wedding Arya had been a part of not so long ago. Arya wore a plain grey dress, her hair pulled back in a simple braid, and the only ornamentation she wore was a dire wolf clasp on the cloak she wore that bore the Stark colors. And yet with all these differences, this wedding felt more real to Arya. Probably because she wasn't being coerced into the marriage and she actually wanted to marry the man that stood before her in front of Winterfell's heart tree.

They had made their vows and promises to each other before the Gods, then knelt to offer up their prayers to the same gods. Theon replaced her Stark cloak with his Greyjoy one and once again Arya was a married woman. Once the ceremony was over he leaned down and placed one small kiss on her lips and pulled back with a smile. It had been the first time, in a long time, that he had been genuinely happy. The entire thing had taken less then fifteen minutes and Arya's heart felt lighter knowing that she was bound to Theon until her dying day.

They made no announcement about what had happened within the godswood, not even after all seven of them emerged from the trees and walked quietly back to the castle. The only thing to betray what Arya and Theon had done was the cloak that she wore. They made no move to hide the fact that they were married, and of course many eyes had seen that she now wore the gold and black of house Greyjoy, and there was no doubt that soon every Lord within Winterfell would know that she was now Arya of House Greyjoy.

No one had said anything about the situation until they had entered the keep and found themselves within the great hall. Lord Manderly had been sitting in the room, with several of his retainers, no doubt preparing for King Stannis's arrival which was fast approaching. He looked up from his work when he heard the small group enter. His eyes instantly went to Arya's cloak, but he did not look surprised to see that she wore it. It was almost as if he expected it.

"Well," he said tiredly, "I do hope the two of you know what you are doing. There are going to be several disappointed lords tonight when word of this spreads." Then he looked to Theon, "I'm sure there will be a few saddened ladies as well. I dare say your father will be a tad disappointed that he wasn't able to make you a match that he might have approved of." Then he allowed a small smile to creep onto his lips. "But, I suppose congratulations are in order."

Theon had let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and felt himself return Manderly's smile. "Thank you, my lord."

Then Lord Manderly turned to the men who he had been working with and bid them clean up the papers and books that were scattered on the table. As they scurried to do his bidding he hefted himself up off the bench he had been sitting on. "I will leave you to celebrate as you will." And with that said he started to waddle off.

Through the course of the afternoon, the newly married had been left alone. There was no great feast, nor any other sort of celebration. Even supper that night had been intimate with only those who had been at the actual ceremony attending the small feast the cooks had prepared. It seemed that those Lords that had gathered at Winterfell were happy to give them their privacy, whether it was because they were being kind to Lord Theon and his wife, or if they were sullen that Arya was no longer a viable marriage option. Theon and Arya were just happy they didn't have to deal with the lords at least for the evening.

**Author's Note:** Next chapter Stannis will arrive at Winterfell. Roose Bolton will be dealt with, and Theon will leave for Pyke. I've planned for two more full chapters and an epilogue. (We'll see how that goes. I might add a chapter or two, I have in the past)

To Jean d'arc: I've banned pretty much everyone I know from having a Westeros themed wedding. Although, seriously, it would be hilarious to see how many people get up and run if they start playing the Rains of Castamere. As for everyone being together…that's all I ever wanted for the Starks! Unfortunately… I don't think Bran will return. I haven't really thought about what to do with him. If I do anything with him, it would probably be in a companion piece and not in this story.

To my guest who is not yet a member: Well now I feel horrible! I haven't been keeping up on AO3 simply because it didn't seem like that many people were all that interested over there. I know there were a few people that were, and I had planned on uploading the whole story once it was finished just to give those that did like it closure. I'm really really sorry!

To Lord Carrion: I think you'll be happy with what happens in the next chapter. Roose himself will be dealt with. I have plans for the Freys in the Riverlands and the Iron Islands as well. As for Theon getting more respect for siding with the Starks, I always thought his biggest mistake was listening to his father and always trying to get the man's approval. It was the catalyst for so much devastation. He might have died with Robb at the Red Wedding had he made a different choice, but that might have been better than what he has to live through now.

To BlueSkyye: Thank you! You have no idea how happy I am that they're back together… I missed writing their scenes!

To MomiWolfie: Thank you for all of your reviews. I've loved reading what you think about those early chapters!

ATP: As of right now, Balon is running the Iron Islands. His brothers aren't going to have too big a role in the story, they'll be there…but since Balon is still alive, there's really no need for the power struggle that's going on in the books. However, he's probably lost a bit of his bite, what with Yara originally having been taken hostage by the Starks and then missing after the Boltons took Winterfell. So he really hasn't been attacking any where. The Iron Born raiders will be used again soon though.


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's note:** It seems like I'm always apologizing for not getting chapters up fast enough. This time, life has got in the way. I have been busy and stressed and every time I got some down time the last thing I wanted to do was write. And when I did write I could not decide on how I wanted to deal with Roose Bolton. I had written three different ways on how things could have gone and finally decided on this one. I know I promised that in this chapter Stannis would arrive at Winterfell, but eventually the chapter got to be too long for all that I had planned. So his arrival will be delayed until next chapter. Again I am sorry for the delay!

**Chapter 35**

In the days after Theon and Arya's wedding, things around Winterfell fell into something that resembled normalcy. Life within the castle's walls was busy, with servants and Northern lords bustling about preparing for the arrival of King Stannis Baratheon. Even the camps of men that the Northern lords had brought with them were filled with nervous energy. No body knew what plans Stannis had for them after their lords bent the knee. It was a very real possibility that they would be marching South to help Stannis take the throne he coveted. To make everything more chaotic, small folk who could not survive the winter on their own had started to invade Winter Town. For several days there had been no snow, and while even though the weather had been cold, the small folk had started to trickle in before the harsher storms of winter started.

All of the chaos that was happening within the walls and the surrounding lands was starting to wear on those who had felt that Winterfell was their home. Theon especially had become restless. He may have felt this way because he longed for just one day of peace, where he didn't have to help break up some altercation in the camps or he didn't have to watch as his wife grew sullen when thinking about the resources that were slowly draining away from Winterfell. Both Arya and Sansa had taken on the duty of running the castle with the occasional bit advice of Lord Manderly. The work kept Arya busy most days, and with Theon helping to organize the men who were attached to Winterfell it was difficult to spend much time together during the day. While they were able to spend their nights together, Theon wished they had more time to spend together in those early days of their marriage.

That might have been one reason why he seemed unsettled, or it could have been the fact that in the near future he would have to leave Winterfell once again to go to back to Pyke. He would have to be parted from Arya once more, leaving his true family to try and convince a father who had all but abandoned him, to join a king he knew that Balon didn't want to acknowledge. But he had given Stannis his word, and he would not back away from it.

Both of these things weighed on Theon, but deep down he knew what it truly was that haunted his dreams at night. It wasn't so much as what, but who. Roose Bolton always seemed to worm his way into Theon's thoughts. The man who had killed Robb, Theon's brother in all but blood, still lived. The very fact that he sat in Winterfell's dungeons disgusted Theon. He knew that Roose Bolton was by no means comfortable, but he was alive and that seemed all too unfair.

That was probably why Theon had slipped out of his room after Arya had fallen asleep for the night. He stalked silently through the castle, fully clothed, but only armed with a dagger that he had carefully attached to his belt. It didn't take long for him to reach the dungeons. The guards who stood outside the door leading into the dark, dank cages looked mildly surprised to see the young lord standing there before them.

"I wish to speak to Lord Bolton." Theon said in calm, steady tone that seemed to dare the guards to question his motives.

The two guards exchanged a quick glance, and the senior of the two just shrugged his shoulders. Who were they to question what noble lords did, especially one who had just married one of the daughters of the house they served. "Sure, milord, follow me," the guard said. The man had doubted Theon was there to help Lord Bolton escape.

Theon nodded his head to show that he understood. As he started to make his way closer to the door, he saw a small three legged stool next to where one of the guards stood. He leaned over to pick it up before he continued through the door and down the hall. In an offhand manner he said, "I'll wish for you to open the cell door. I'll want to have a proper conversation with the man."

This caused the guard who had started to lead him towards the cell that Roose had been stashed, to crane his neck so he could look at Theon with a raised eyebrow. Even in the dim light Theon could tell this request intrigued the guard. The man made of a show of looking down at the dagger that was at Theon's waist, but said nothing. Theon got the distinct impression that the guard knew why Theon had ordered the cell to be open. "I'll suppose I'll have to make a show of warning you against that."

"By all means, tell me I am being stupid." Theon deadpanned.

"You're being stupid." The guard said in a tone that showed he thought Theon anything but, then turned to the cell that they had sought. He looked to the lone man inside and in a gruff voice said, "you've got a visitor."

Roose Bolton had been laying on what amounted to be a wooden bench. There was a thin, uncomfortable looking blanket draped over him. It was clear that he had not been asleep because his head turned curiously toward the bars that held him in. In an almost lazy manner her brought himself up into a sitting position. If he was surprised, or even worried that Theon Greyjoy stood outside his cell, his expression did not show it. He swung his legs so that his feet would rest against the floor, and he straightened his back proudly. It was almost as if he was receiving someone within his solar and not in the dirty dungeons of Winterfell. Theon thought the man had hoped to pull off the look of an arrogant noble lord, but it had been diminished by the dark circles around his eyes and the dirt of the cells clinging to Roose's skin and hair. It was clear he had been not been giving the curtesy of bathing, and Theon scrunched up his nose at the man's offending oder.

Roose didn't acknowledge the insult, instead his quiet voice carried over to Theon's ears. "To what do I owe this pleasure Lord Theon? I would have thought you would have visited me sooner."

Once the guard opened the cell, Theon pushed his way inside. He positioned the stool in the corner furtherest from Roose. The man was chained to the wall, and he looked like he had lost weight since Theon last saw him, but still Theon did not want Roose to get any ideas of rushing him. Theon looked to the guard, "you may leave, I have no fear of this man." He cast a disdainful look at Roose, "I doubt he could hurt me in his current condition."

With another shrug of his shoulders, the guard turned to leave, "just give me a call when you're done, so I can come lock the cell again."

When the guard was gone, Theon looked back to Roose as he took a seat upon the stool. "To answer your question, I've had more important matters to attend to, since my arrival. I'm just now finding the time to deal with you."

"Ah yes, some of my jailers have seen it fit to tell me that my son's widow has already remarried. It seems rather quick on her part, hardly a suitable mourning period has passed." Roose said as if they were just making polite small talk.

Theon's brow furrowed slightly at the mention of Arya's prior marriage, but he managed to hold back any anger that threatened to erupt to the surface. "I doubt anyone mourns the passing of your bastard."

Roose let out an exaggerated sigh, "I suppose you are right on that account. I myself cannot say that I feel any sadness at his passing. He was not very well loved. But still, he was my heir, so I might say I feel some disappointment at the very least." Then he tilted his head to the side in curiosity, "is that why you're here, to confront me about forcing the little wolf girl into marrying him? Because no one forced her…"

"This has nothing to do with Arya." Theon snapped at the man.

This seemed to surprise Roose, "oh?"

"No," Theon paused for a moment. "Although she did go into vivid detail about what happened to her from the moment she arrived at Winterfell. She mentioned that you admitted to killing Robb Stark." Slowly he moved his hand to pull out the dagger from his belt. "In fact she said that it was this exact dagger that you used to commit the murder." He let the steel glint in the torch light so that Roose could get a glimpse of the weapon. Theon was pleased to see the fallen Lord shift uncomfortably on the bench.

"Of course, I saw no reason to lie." Roose said quietly. "Are you here to judge me then? I thought I was to be given to over to Stannis, so that he could exact judgement on my crimes. I had thought Lord Manderly decided that I might be of some use to the _King."_

Theon let a small, dark chuckle escape his lips, "I doubt you'll be of any use to King Stannis. I really have given this some thought. I have a feeling no one really cares what happens to you. You have no family, well no family besides that wife of yours and he's safely tucked away in another part of Winterfell. So Stannis cannot use you to gain ransom or loyalty from anyone. You have very few friends, those you thought you had, went running or surrendered to Manderly the moment they saw you captured. The Freys, well, I don't think Stannis will be very forgiving of them either and I have no doubt they will have to worry about themselves in the near future. You're simply out of allies. I dare say no one cares about you." Theon paused to let Roose mull over the words he spoke before he continued. "And Stannis, he does not have a personal stake in what happens to you." He brought his hard gaze to Roose's unsettling pale eyes. "You killed my friend, my brother. I don't think I can suffer you to live any longer."

"So, you pass this judgement upon me for vengeance?" Roose asked curiously. "It hardly seems like it would be worth the effort, Lord Theon. Would not your King see me executed as well, wouldn't it be easier to wait for his executioners to kill me."

"I have no doubt that he would." Theon admitted. "But I feel it is my duty to pass this sentence to you." He paused for a moment. "For Robb, for the rest of the Stark family and for myself. And since I am the one passing this sentence on you, Eddard Stark taught me that I should be the one to swing the sword." Theon shrugged, "Or thrust the dagger as the case may be."

There was a short, bark of a laugh that emitted from Roose. "How honorable of you. Lord Stark would have been proud. Although I doubt he would approve of the manner in which you choose to exact this punishment. You have snuck down here in the dead of night with every intention of killing a prisoner who is unarmed and chained no less. It hardly seems _honorable, _especially considering that the man you call your King is expecting to find me alive when he arrives."

Theon shrugged and then gracefully lifted himself up from the stool. "Growing up at Winterfell, I always envied the Stark children. I had secretly wished I could be one of them. I even had fantasies of marrying the oldest daughter just so I could be truly part of their family." He let out a small chuckle. "I have grown a lot since those days and I find those dreams had been very childish. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the Starks and since I have found happiness with the other Stark girl, they are now my family by law. But by name, I am _not _a Stark." He was quiet as he crossed the cell over to where Roose sat. "You see, I may not be like my father, but I _am _a Greyjoy and I will avenge my friend."

Roose made no move to stand up as Theon towered over him with the dagger tightly in his hand. He did not even open his mouth to talk. To Theon's astonishment, Roose simply looked up at him with acceptance. The man knew there was no way for him to talk his way out of this. For a moment Theon just stared at him, then lifted the hand that held the knife and placed the tip of it to Roose's heart. "For Robb, and Lady Catelyn, and all the others who you had a hand in killing at the Twins." And calmly, he thrust the dagger into Lord Boltons heart.

When Theon pulled the dagger out, Rooses body slumped back against the cell's stone wall. Theon wiped the blood from the blade on Bolton's dirty shirt. He watched as Roose's blood flowed from his body with each slowing heart beat. Bolton did not try to speak, and as his breath started to become more ragged he made sure to keep his eyes on Theon. Even in his dying moments his eyes still unsettled Theon, but he did not turn away from their accusing gaze. When at last Roose's life had faded, Theon turned to the cell door and called out to the guards that he was ready to leave. It was a few moments before the same guard that let him in, returned.

The guard cast a long glance at Roose's body and let out a slow breath.

Theon looked at the guard only mildly concerned. "It appears that Lord Bolton has committed suicide." It was a gamble Theon knew, coming down here to kill Roose. There might have been some people would not think kindly of him taking justice into his own hands. He had hoped he could count on the guards to be sympathetic.

The guard still hadn't looked away from the body. In a voice that was almost a whisper, he spoke, "I lost a son at the Twins. And Galan," he nodded toward the door of the dungeons where the other guard still stood, "he lost two brothers." He didn't say anything for a second, then he looked at Theon with what could only be called a grudging respect. "It seems the man has indeed committed suicide. I'll be sure to get some suitable men down here to clean the mess up."

Theon nodded and offered the man a small grateful smile. "Good, see that the body is burned."

—

Theon was able to slip through the halls of Winterfell and back into the chambers he shared with Arya unnoticed. When he entered the room where he had left his wife sleeping, he could barely make out the outline of her body underneath the thick furs that covered her in the firelight. For a brief second all he did was watch her sleep and in that moment he realized he felt no guilt for killing Roose Bolton. Even though he had been locked up, the man had still been alive, and alive he was still dangerous. What if he had escaped? What if he had demanded from Stannis, a trial by combat and was able to win is freedom? Now that he was dead, he wouldn't be able to pose a threat to those people Theon loved.

He supposed he should have worried about other consequences that might arise with his impetuous decision to take matters in his own hands when it came to Lord Bolton. He wasn't certain the how the Northern Lords would react and there was always the chance that Stannis would be upset, but at the moment, he was too tired to care. Quickly and quietly he crossed the room to a basin of water that the servants had left out for the newly married couple to use in case they wanted to wash up before bed. The water was cold and it was difficult to see what he was doing in the dim light, so he spent several minutes longer than necessary scrubbing his bloodied hands. Once he was fairly certain that he had succeeded in cleaning up, he spent another few moments fumbling in the dark, managing to get into a fresh, loose fitting shirt and a pair of comfortable cotton pants.

Then finally he was able to slip underneath the thick furs to join his wife in bed. As soon as he laid down, Arya adjusted herself so that she curled into his side, seeking out his warmth even as she slept. Instinctively, he turned toward her and slipped his arm protectively around her, he pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head, then closed his eyes, seemingly at peace. It did not take him long to fall asleep and before he knew, it was morning.

Arya was the first one to open her eyes to the grey light that tried to stream in through the cracks of the firmly closed windows. Her eyes drifted to the fire that was slowly dwindling in the fire place, but she felt no chill. She closed her eyes and felt her lips curve into a contented smile. During the night she must have turned so that her back was to Theon, but his arm was still draped around her and she pressed herself back against the warmth of his body.

Her movement must have caused him to stir, because he nestled his face into her hair and murmured gently, "good morning Little Wolf." She shivered a little as his breath tickled the back of her neck. With a small chuckle he moved his hand to brush her hair to the side so he could place a gentle kiss upon her neck, then lifted his head slightly to whisper in her ear. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm," she let the sound hum out of her mouth, and nodded her head slightly. She was no longer content to just feel him against her, she felt a sudden urge to look upon him. So she moved so that she was lying on her back, his body adjusting in unison to hers so that hhus face hovered slightly above hers and they could look at each other. She slipped a hand out from under the covers and placed it on the back of his neck and pulled him down into what started out as a gentle kiss.

Theon had started to break the kiss and pull away, but before he could, her hand at his neck applied a small amount of pressure to tell him that she was not yet done with the kiss. Her other hand touched his waist of his trousers tentatively, then slipped up under his baggy shirt, letting her fingertips slip slightly across the skin of his stomach, then his side before gently resting on his lower back.

Instantly he knew what she wanted, and this was her subtle way of asking if he wanted the same. He smiled with amusement into the kiss, she had become bolder in letting him know just how much she wanted him since the first time they had consummated their relationship at Runestone so long ago. The forwardness suited her and he had to admit that he enjoyed the fact that she matched his eagerness in sharing the physical pleasures of their marriage. Without any hesitation he deepened the kiss and brushed his tongue lightly across her lips to let her know that he fully intended to take her up on her invitation. The hand that had been at her side slowly started to roam her body, over the fabric of the gown she wore to bed the night before.

Arya let out a sigh that was full of both frustration and anticipation. It bothered her that even though he was touching her his touch was being impeded by the night gown, she wanted feel his skin against hers and it frustrated her that he seemed to be taking his time in escalating to that point. But oh how that waiting caused her to tremble with anticipation. She had thought that her desire to be with Theon would lessen, that the excitement of coupling with him would diminish slightly after they had married, knowing that their nights spent together were no longer seemingly forbidden. How wrong she had been, instead saying her vows seemed to have heightened her awareness of him. She wondered if it was because of the long absence of his company, the fact that she came close to losing him, or that they could now be very open with their affection that made her more enthusiastic to be alone with him. She doubted that most newly married couples were so eager to be with each other. She supposed it helped that she really did love her husband for some time before they were even married.

After several more seconds of gentle kisses and teasing touches, Theon was ready to remove the offending nightgown from Arya's body. However before he could he was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. He stilled his movements and with a groan, broke their current kiss. Arya, wore an annoyed frown and whispered up to him, "perhaps if we don't say anything, whoever it is will just go away."

They were disappointed when another knock interrupted the silent room. "My lord, my lady, I am coming in. If there is anything you don't wish for me to see, I suggest you cover it up." The two of them recognized the voice of, Clara, the older serving woman who had taken on the duties of attending to Arya. Lord Manderly had brought the woman with him from White Harbor and had offered the woman's services to Arya until a new one could be found. The woman had a no nonsense air about her and refused to bow and scrape to any of the nobles she had to take care of. Arya liked her better than another attendant she had ever had the misfortune of dealing with. That was until this very moment.

"Clara, can't you at least wait a moment." Arya called out in annoyed town. She already knew that the woman would not, so she pushed herself up to a sitting position, followed reluctantly Theon.

"Of course not, my time is too valuable." Clara said as she unlatched the door and immediately crossed the threshold. "It's not as if I don't know what goes on in this room behind closed doors. In fact I'd wager the entire keep knows what you're doing, especially since you've failed to make an appearance in the Great Hall to break your fast."

At that Arya couldn't help but feel her cheeks begin to burn and Theon couldn't help but chuckle as he pushed the covers off that he could swing his legs over the side of the bed. Arya, who had still not moved to from where she sat in bed, offered him a glare that was somewhat diminished by her blush.

Clara had seen Arya's expression and clucked her tongue at the girl. "You're young, newly married, and in love. It's part of life. No one is surprised by what you do when you find the time to be alone with your husband. And you're noble, so of course the servants are going to wag their tongues."

The only response Arya could think to give was to roll her eyes at the woman. "What is it that you wanted, Clara? I take it there is a reason you're interrupting our _alone time."_

"Of course, my lady." Clara said obediently. "Lord Manderly wishes to break his fast with you, if you're so inclined. He has several matters he wishes to discuss with you."

From the corner of her eye she had seen a sudden change in Theon's body language as he stiffened with tension. Instantly, Arya knew that he knew why Lord Manderly wished to talk to them. However she said nothing about this and simply brought her full attention back to Clara. "Please tell him we'll be happy to break our fast with him and that we'll be down shortly."

At this Clara just nodded her head, offered a small curtsy and turned to leave the room. Once the door was firmly shut and Arya and Theon were once again alone, Theon stood up from the bed and started to busy himself with the task of preparing himself for the day. Arya stayed where she was as she watched him, she was just about to ask him what he knew about why Lord Manderly wanted to see them when he spoke first, "do you think they really talk about us, the servants I mean, about what we do we do when we're alone?"

Arya raised an eyebrow, she recognized that he this was his way of deflecting her questions about Manderly. For the moment she played along. "I don't know, probably. I know our friends discuss it. Olyvar seems to think I'll be with child in a matter of weeks. He's already given the name Olyvar as a suggestion for our first born child."

Theon snorted at this as he started to dress in more appropriate clothing. "And if we should have a girl first?"

Arya's brow furrowed at this, not liking the suggestion Olyvar had first given her at all, "Freya." She said as she pushed the furs off of her in frustration and moved to stand up, knowing that she had to prepare herself for the day.

Theon stopped lacing up his shirt when he had heard that name and growled out, "I would never name a child of mine _Freya."_

She moved to the wardrobe, opened it and started to pull out the clothing she would wear for the day and let out an amused laugh. "I don't think he thought that name through. He seemed to come up with it in an instant when I asked him about a girl's name. It only took him a few moments to realize that it would be in poor taste to name a child after the man who had helped to butcher my family." She dropped her clothing on the bed and then turned to walk to her husband. When she stood before him she lifted herself on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. "He apologized profusely."

"Good," was his prompt reply.

"Besides," she said with a shrug of her shoulders, "it isn't as if it's something we have to worry about for some time. I am in no way ready for a child. There is still to much that is uncertain. With things unsettled at the Wall and in the South, and Winter upon us, I wouldn't want to worry about a child at this point."

"I know, Little Wolf," He said and kissed the top of her head. "I know."

With that she turned away from him and returned to the task of dressing herself. For awhile they were both quiet as they finished up preparing for the day. It was Arya that broke the silence. "I have the feeling that you know what we're about to hear from Lord Manderly. Would you care to tell me?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself with." He said a bit offhandedly, it was a lie and they both knew that. He let out a small frustrated sigh, knowing that if he told her about what had happened with Lord Bolton right now, she would want to discuss the matter in detail. And that would force them to keep Lord Manderly waiting and Theon was interested to see what the man had to say about the whole ordeal. He moved so that he stood before her and placed his hands at her waist and then pulled her closer to him. "Perhaps at this point it would be best to wait for Lord Manderly to say his piece. It's nothing that you would make you upset, I can promise you that. And just know that it is not something I would not have kept from you. I had every intention of telling you this morning," he allowed a small smile to touch his lips, "but you seemed intent on distracting me when we woke up, so I did not get the chance."

Arya looked up at him, there was concern evident within her eyes. She was clearly worried about what it was that he wasn't telling her. But she also saw that he had meant what he said, and that it would all become clear when they talked to Manderly. She offered him a reluctant smile and then pulled away from him, before placing her hand in his. "Then I suppose we should be on our way."

—

When Arya and Theon found their way down to the Great Hall they saw that Lord Manderly was already sitting at one of the tables closest to one of the large fireplaces located in the hall. With him, sat Brienne, Sansa, Podrick, and Olyvar. Theon had been curious to see the rest of them gathered there. He would have thought that if Manderly wanted to discuss Roose Bolton's _suicide _with Theon he would have done so in a more private manner with only Arya and possibly Sansa in attendance.

As the two of them neared the table, Manderly must have seen his surprise. "I hope it is alright that I asked the rest of your friends to join us." He addressed both Arya and Theon. "There are some things I need to ask of you and it seemed like you value their advice, even more so than my own." He said with an amused smile to show that he hardly minded that fact. "I thought it would save time if they were included in the discussions from the start. Especially since part of what we need to talk about involves Lady Brienne."

Brienne raised a brow at this, as it was the first time she had been told that she would be the topic of conversation. Still, she said nothing as Arya and Theon took their places at the table. Almost instantly servants brought them both food and drink and once that was done Manderly dismissed them, wishing for some privacy with the small party he had convened.

"I suppose the first order of business should be to inform you of the apparent suicide of Lord Roose Bolton last night." Manderly said calmly. He paused a moment to look at each of those assembled. The silence made it obvious that he suspected that the death was anything but a suicide, but he offered no blame to anyone. "The guards that were on duty last night claimed that he some how managed to hang himself with the one blanket we allowed him. By the time they discovered what he had done it was too late. I was informed of what had happened early this morning, and by that time the body had already been put to the flames." The fact that Bolton's body had been burned was not surprising, especially since Theon had passed along the advice the Men of the Night's Watch had given them in regards to burning the dead. However, it was surprising that Bolton had been placed upon a pyre so quickly. "Unfortunately, I was unable to have anyone inspect the body to see the if the guards spoke the truth."

Arya felt Theon shift uncomfortably next to her and instantly she knew what Theon had meant to talk to her about. He had wanted to tell her that at some point last night he had snuck out of their room and had managed to help Lord Bolton to an early grave. Under the table she reached for his hand and managed to give it a small squeeze as if to say to him that she understood what it was that was going on. It did not bother her that he had taken matters into his own hands, but there was still much she wanted to discuss with him. But she managed to keep her facial expression neutral. Then she dead panned. "Pity that he is gone."

"I doubt there will be much mourning over the loss." Manderly said in the same dry tone. "I thought it would be best for everyone to know that this suicide story will be the one that will be one that is told to the other Northern Lords and it will be the one we report to our new King." In other words Manderly was telling them that he was not stupid. He knew Bolton had not killed himself and that in all likelihood someone at this table was somehow involved with his death. Whether they had committed the act themselves or conspired with others to do it. "I'm sure there will be several questions surrounding this incident, but since we are unlikely to get any answers, we have no choice but to rule it a suicide."

And just like that, Theon felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It seemed he had spoken the truth to Roose. No one would really care if he died and from the causal way that Lord Manderly spoke of it, Theon doubted that there was any real investigation into what happened in the dungeons the night before. While people would talk and speculate on what happened, as long as the guards who were there kept quiet, no one would know the truth. He knew that Arya had figured out what he had done, but he trusted her to tell no one. And he had no doubt that Olyvar might have been able to figure it out along with the others, they would never really know for sure that it was him. Even if it ever did come to light that he had basically murdered Roose Bolton, he suspected that no one really cared, not even Stannis Baratheon. Once the man had been captured and tossed into a cell he simply became unimportant.

However, there was one thought that had occurred to Theon. He cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "Someone should tell Lady Walda what has happened to her husband." He said quietly.

"I'll go up to her rooms after the meal." Sansa said, knowing that she would be the best choice to tell the woman of her loss. While she held a bit of satisfaction in her heart over the passing of Roose Bolton, she would be able to keep her feelings hidden while she talked to Walda. The woman was already having a difficult time adjusting to her new reality. She had been given a modest, comfortable room, but was not allowed to leave it and was often confined to her bed. Sansa thought the woman's health might be failing her and she was uncertain what the shock of loosing her husband would do to her.

"Very well." Manderly said. "Then I suppose we should move on. A messenger arrived early this morning as well. King Stannis and his army are about a week's march away from Winterfell, so it would seem the time has come to make our final preparations for his visit."

It was now Brienne's turn to look uncomfortable, the man she swore to kill would soon be within her reach and she would be able to do nothing about it. However she was not he only person to look unhappy at this news. Theon was reminded of his promise to go to the Iron Islands, which meant that the happiness he had felt so recently would soon be coming to an end as he would have to leave his new wife once more. To Arya and Sansa I meant they had to come up with creative ways to offer supplies to Stannis's men as well keeping Winterfell's own supplies sufficient for winter.

"I know you're concerned about food and other resources," Manderly conceded, he had often discussed the problem with both Sansa and Arya as well as the other Northerners. "I doubt Stannis will stay long at Winterfell, I suspect he'll be eager to move on once he's concluded his business here. He'll wait for Lord Rickon, and once he's gained Winterfell's support he'll move further South. Those Northern men who don't go with him will go back to their own lands. But I'm not ignorant of the drain this is to Winterfell. I'm sure we'll be able to convince some of the other Lords to offer some of their own resources to help, myself included."

Stiffly, Arya said, "thank you." It was the best she could hope for, but she knew things would be tight once the winter truly came.

Manderly could still see the lingering worry in her eyes. "Lord Bolton was not a stupid man. He knew how to prepare for Winter as all proper Northern lords do. Winterfell was well stocked and while you have used a portion of those stores, you will still have plenty of provisions for a long winter if you are careful. And since it seems he had Winterfell prepared for winter, I have no doubt he had the Dreadfort also well in hand. Which brings me to you Lady Brienne."

"What does the Dreadfort have to do with me?" Brienne asked tightly.

"Should Ladies Arya and Sansa agree, I would like you to take a couple hundred men to the Dreadfort to clean out any opposition that might still be lingering at the keep. I would also like you to make an inspection of just how well prepared it is for winter." Manderly said calmly.

It was clear what he had done. Manderly was very aware of Brienne's animosity towards Stannis. While Stannis might not even know who Lady Brienne was or of her hate for him, it still felt dangerous to have the two within close proximity. This was Manderly giving Brienne the opportunity to be well away from the Winterfell when the King arrived, so that she would not be tempted to exact her vengeance on the man she blamed for killing Renly.

Sansa could see the wisdom in his suggestion and when she looked to Arya, she could tell her sister felt the same. "We need to deal with any of Lord Bolton's supporters that may be in the Dreadfort, it would be a great help to us, Brienne." Sansa said.

Brienne almost looked relieved to be given a task that would keep her mind off of Stannis Baratheon. She did not even have to think about what her answer would be, "very well, supply me with the men and I will march within two days. She would be well away before Stannis makes his arrival.

"I would like to accompany you." Podrick had said to Brienne

"Of course." Brienne said automatically. It would have felt odd to leave the boy behind. She had grown accustomed to his company.

It seemed to everyone at the table that Manderly let out a small sigh of relief. "Then it is settled. I suggest now we take a few moments to actually enjoy our food."

The rest of the meal was filled with idle chit chat and it felt relaxed despite the heavy matters they had discussed earlier. Eventually as everyone finished their food they started to drift out of the hall, until only Arya and Theon were left.

Once she knew they were alone, Arya turned her full attention on him. For a moment she remained silent, her head canted to these side. As she looked at him, Theon noticed that her eyes betrayed a look of accusation. "Why didn't you talk to me about what you planned on doing to Roose Bolton last night?" She finally asked. "I could have helped you."

He let out a small, defeated sigh. He had thought she might react this way. "It was something I needed to do on my own." He said simply.

"What?" She asked in disbelief. "Why? Were you concerned I couldn't handle it?"

"Of course not." a small, amused smile touched his lips. "But you have already managed to slay your demons." Clearly he had meant Ramsay when he said this. "I needed a chance to slay mine."

Arya's dissatisfaction seemed to deflate a little as he said this. She supposed she could understand his need to repay Lord Bolton for everything that he had done. There were times when she still felt like he blamed himself for not being able to save Robb. Perhaps this would give him some closure. "I just wish you would have told me." She finally said quietly.

"I already told you that I had every intention of doing so." He said with a faint smile. "But that you had distracted me before I could."

Arya ignored his attempt at lightening the mood. Her voice was quiet, as she thought back to the night her mother and brother died and of her more recent time's under Roose Bolton's watchful eye at Winterfell. "And he's really dead?"

It was then that Theon realized that without having seen the man's body, Arya might have had trouble believing that Roose had actually died. It was something he had not thought of when he had done what he did and for that he was remorseful. He reached for her hand and then brought it up to his lips so he could brush her knuckles with a kiss by way of an apology. "Trust me Little Wolf, I pierced his heart and I watched as the life faded from his eyes. He is dead."

After a few heartbeats, her body seemed to relax a little. "Good." She said with obvious satisfaction. "That means there is one less monster in this world."

**Author's Note: **

To Lord of Carrion: I'll be dealing with the Iron Islands over the next few chapters. Balon is… well best not get into any spoilers. But Stannis will definitely be gaining ground in other parts of Westeros as well. Things will be starting to move a little faster now and there will be some other twists and turns coming.

To Jean'arc: Arya and Theon's wedding is the only wedding in Westeros I would have wanted to go to…well at least in this particular story. Thank you, I thought Arya and Theon deserved something nice and happy for once.

To ATP: Let me tell you, Stannis is definitely going to take advantage of all the chaos in the South. He would be stupid not to.

To BlueSkyye: I'm so happy to have helped your day…even if it was all the way back in September. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update!

To GlathirSkingrad: Thank you for giving my story a try! And I have been enjoying your story too! Sorry about the super long wait. I hope this chapter lives up as well.

To MomiWolfie: Thanks for all the little comments on the older chapters. I love getting them.

To ESO: I'm so happy you decided to click my story even though it wasn't an Sansa/Theon one. And I'm glad you're finding it enjoyable. I love the pairing and I know it can be frustrating when you can't find more stories in the pairing you love. It's kind of why I wrote this. Heck I'll be writing more Arya/Theon stories in the future. As for your request in me writing a Sansa/Theon one, at first I hesitated. I admit that while I like Sansa…she is not my favorite Stark. So it would be hard for me to write her. BUT, I have been turning some plots around in my head that could work for a Sansa/Theon story. If I did go ahead and write it, I'd probably write it while writing some other stuff too. And it would probably not be the main story I would work on, but I would try to update it as often as I could and I would make an effort to finish it. You would just have to give me some time to come up with a more complete plot


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Note**: Well, this chapter got a little away from me. I'm sorry it's so long. I think it's because I'm starting to set people up for their resolutions. And there are some characters who I might write some short little side stories for as they start going their separate ways in this chapter and the next. Also I have had a bit of a problem formatting this chapter for some reason, so if there's any mistakes, I am soooo sorry.

**Chapter 36**

Stannis Baratheon had finally arrived at Winterfell and the first thing he did was to call several key people a small meeting. There was an undercurrent of tension in the room that had once been Lord Eddard Stark's solar. Several people were spread about the room. The most commanding figure was seated behind the desk. King Stannis Baratheon sat stiffly in the chair and looked sternly at each of the room's other occupants. For a moment Arya was taken aback at seeing someone else in a chair that she had only ever seen her father occupy. Stannis had been given the use of the room after he arrived at Winterfell so he had a place to attend to any matters of importance that might arise during his stay, and Arya knew that it was important for him to have a space in which work, but there was a dull ache in her heart when she looked at the King. She missed her father.

She allowed the sentimental feeling to distract her only for a moment before she brought her attention the other odd assortment of people that had gathered in the solar. Arya and Theon shared a wooden bench that stood on one side of the room, while Olyvar sat with Sansa on another that was on the opposite wall. Lord Manderly was also there, seated in a chair that had been padded with several cushions making it more comfortable for the large man's frame. Arya was a bit perplexed at the inclusion of Lady Melisandre, who was sitting in a chair that was out of the way, but just behind Stannis. It was obvious she was had chosen the spot carefully. She did not want to appear to be a prominent addition to the meeting but she wanted the King to be within earshot of her. Ser Davos Seawarth, the King's Hand, was standing respectfully behind Stannis. And the last person who had been invited into the room was Yara. She stood uncomfortably near the fireplace, well away from everyone else.

Once everyone seemed settled enough, the King cleared his throat to gather their attention more fully. "I've called you all here to discuss what I would like to see happen in the near future."

Arya could feel Theon stiffen next to her and she hazarded a glance at him from the corner of her eye. She saw his lips turned downward into a frown. She had known that he was concerned about the promise he had made to Stannis before they had been reunited, that he would go to the Iron Islands to try and sway Balon Greyjoy to join Stannis's cause. She also knew that he had been worried that he would have to leave her at Winterfell when he went. What he didn't seem to realize was the fact that she would be joining him and Yara when they left. It was a discussion that they had kept putting off, but it was a discussion that she knew she would win. She reached out her hand and slipped it it subtly into his. Theon cast her a casual glance, she offered him a small, reassuring, half smile.

It was Manderly who responded to Stannis first, he cleared his throat before he spoke, "yes, of course Your Grace. I'm sure we will all be willing to help you in any way possible. But first there are a few matters that I wish to discuss with you." When Stannis gave him a questioning look, Manderly continued, "they involve Lord Roose Bolton."

"I had thought to make my judgment concerning that particular prisoner tomorrow." Stannis said firmly, "I wish only to discuss relevant matters at the moment. I hardly think the fate of one disgraced Northern Lord should be of any importance at the moment."

"The fact of the matter is, he no longer requires your judgment." Lord Manderly explained quietly. Again he cleared his throat and even though he wished to cast a glance toward Theon, the most likely culprit of Lord Bolton's murder, he managed to keep his gaze steadily on Stannis. "Roose Bolton decided to escape justice by taking his own life, only a few days ago."

Stannis's expression hardened slightly at the news. His eyes slowly roamed the room, searching the expressions of those who had been at Winterfell over the past few weeks. Arya's grip on Theon's hand tightened to the point where her knuckles turned white, but she managed to look Stannis straight in the eye. Theon was also able to maintain a look of pure innocence while Stannis scrutinized him. Finally, the King spoke, "that is unfortunate." And just like that, it seemed that Theon had gotten away with killing Roose Bolton and Arya was able to relax her grip on his hand.

It was then that, the Lady Melisandre spoke up. "Indeed it is unfortunate. While he was not of royal blood, he was still from an ancient and noble family. He would have made a fine offering to our Lord of Light."

Arya frowned at the woman's words. She had heard the rumors of this Red Witch burning men and women, killing them under the guise of being sacrificed to R'hollor, the god that Stannis seemed to embrace. Her words seemed to imply that she had been intending to do that with Lord Bolton. However, Arya was not the one to voice her concerns, it was Sansa who spoke up. "You would have burned him alive?" The red haired Stark sister had asked, her voice incredulous.

"The flames would have purified him child." Melisandre answered calmly.

"But, your god was not his!" Arya suddenly spat out.

Melisandre's eyes bore into Arya's and the younger girl shifted uncomfortably under the woman's stare. Manderly, being the observant man that he was. realized that tensions in the air could escalate. He spoke up quickly, directing his next words to Stannis. "There is still more that you should know, Your Grace."

It seemed as if Melisandre had wanted to say more, and Stannis had sensed this, so he held up his hand to keep her from speaking anything further. "Go ahead, Lord Manderly."

"It seems that Lady Walda Bolton is with child." He said this calmly, knowing that the news would direct the conversation away from the chosen religion of Stannis Baratheon, a subject that still gave Lord Manderly some trepidation. The news had the desired effect, everyone seemed to be in shock.

"What?" Sansa asked quietly. "Why weren't we told of this?"

"I only received confirmation of the news this morning." Manderly explained. "I did not want to say anything until I was certain. I had suspected she might have been carrying Roose's heir when the serving woman who had been assigned to her, mentioned that Lady Bolton complained of fatigue and that she often had an upset stomach. I was even more suspicious when the Lady Walda had turned down the offer of a Maester's care. However today I insisted that he take a look at her. The Maester said she was agitated the entire time he was with her, and that once he came to the conclusion that she was with child she begged for mercy for both her and the child. It seemed she was trying to keep her condition a secret. Not surprisingly, she fears for herself and her unborn baby's life."

"She doesn't really suspect we would allow any harm to come to her and the child? They are both innocents. While Walda is a Frey by birth and a Bolton by marriage, I doubt she had a hand in any of the crimes her grandfather and husband committed." Sansa said with just a hint of caution, it occurred to her that she didn't really know how Stannis would handle this situation.

"Of course we wouldn't." Arya said quickly, with a certainty she wished she had felt.

"Allowing the child to live would be the honorable course of action." Stannis said quietly, "but a Bolton heir could prove to be problematic in the future. What if the child is male, and he seeks some sort of vengence against those he felt were the cause of his House's disgrace? Even a female heir could cause some problems, if her mother's family chose to use her for their own purposes. The Freys are opportunistic and should my plans to subdue the House in some way come to fruition, I doubt I would be able to keep an eye on _all_ of them."

"There might be another way." Manderly offered. It was obvious the man had already thought about a possible solution to this problem.

Stannis gave Manderly a measured look and the King realized there was an intelligence there that could be utilized in the future. He had suspected that Manderly had a shrewd mind in their correspondence over the last few months, but it was clear that the man had a sharp wit. Stannis simply asked, "and what is this solution?"

"It is obvious that we cannot send Lady Bolton back to the Freys. It would be folly to leave the child unchecked among people who hold ill will to the Stark family or to the Crown. What we need to do, is to make sure that the child will be raised to have proper respect for their King and their liege lord at Winterfell. My suggestion would be to have Lady Walda remain a hostage to one of the Northern lords, and once the child is born and old enough to be parted from the mother, the child will foster with the same Northern Lord and his mother can go back to her family."

"And which ever lord would take on the burden of this arrangement would have control of the Dreadfort and all the Bolton lands?" Ser Davos asked skeptically, it was the first time he had spoken and he brought up a valid point. The House that fostered the Bolton heir would stand to gain some power in the North.

"Of course not," Manderly waved the thought away. "The Bolton name should not carry the power it once had. By all means, strip House Bolton of the Dreadfort and all of it's lands. Save for maybe a small hold for the child. If it is a male heir he would have a modest keep to call his home and he could attempt to restore some dignity to his family's name. And if it is a girl, then the Lord who fostered her will be able to use the holding as a nice dowry for a suitable match when the time came for her to marry."

Again, there was a brief silence as Stannis mulled over the situation. "I suppose that could be one way to handle the situation. Do you have any suggestions as to which Northern lord would be a suitable choice for this undertaking?"

"I have the resources, and it was my idea. I, of course, would be willing to volunteer to take on the job of watching over Walda and raising the child." Manderly offered.

"And I have no doubt you would do an excellent job of keeping both the woman and the child in line." Stannis paused for a moment as he chose his next words, "however, I believe your talents would be useful elsewhere should my bid for the Throne be successful. Did you have any other suggestions?"

Manderly had looked surprised by what Stannis had said, but when the King had offered no further explanation, he decided to simply answer the question that had been posed to him. He was certain the King would be more forthcoming about his plans concerning Manderly at a later time. "I believe Lord Umber would be a suitable candidate."

"He would be a good choice, Your Grace." Theon said carefully. "He has kept Rickon safe and he is loyal to the Stark family. That loyalty would extend to you."

"Then I suppose that particular matter has been settled. I shall talk with Lord Umber once he arrives at Winterfell." Stannis said with an authority that said the subject was closed and that it was time to move on. "The next order of business I would like to discuss is the state of affairs in the South. The situation in King's Landing seems precarious and it has been since Tywin Lannister's death. My sources tell me that the new High Septon has some how managed to reinstate the Faith Militant, under Cersei's approval no less. In an ironic twist of fate, she was shortly arrested by them and charged with crimes against the Faith. It seems that Tommen's wife has also been imprisoned by the High Septon as well. King's Landing is in chaos. The Tyrells are threatening to start a war against the Faith and Kaven Lannister has left Casterly Rock to see if he can aide his niece. And the boy who thinks himself king is cowering away in his castle. It would seem foolish to waste this opportunity."

"Then I suppose you have some sort of plan, Your Grace?" Theon asked reluctantly.

"I do." Stannis said bringing his attention to Theon, "and part of that plan begins with you," he then leveled his gaze at Yara, "both of you, leaving to fulfill your promise to go and treat with your father. I will need Iron Born men willing to fight for me should my plan succeed. The sooner you leave, the better." He added, almost as an after thought.

"We should only need a few days to prepare for the journey." Yara said from the fireplace. "It would not take us long to reach Torrhen's Square, and even if the lake and river are already frozen over, we can ride down to the Saltspear and find passage to the Iron Islands easy enough. The harder part will be convincing my father to take your side in anything."

"And I would like to go with them." Arya said in a tone that said it would be fruitless to argue with her.

Before Stannis could say anything, Theon purposely ignored what his wife had said, "we'll try our best to talk some sense into him. If he chooses to be difficult, we'll have to round up support from the other lords. But we should be able to get you the men you need." He paused a moment, feeling Arya's intense glare. He knew she would be angry for forcing Stannis to ignore her request, but it was something he felt the two of them needed to discuss between themselves before asking the King's permission for her to go to the Iron Islands. "What exactly do you need from the Ironborn?"

"Two things actually." Stannis said. "We need to deal with the Freys and restore the Riverlands to the Tully's before I can march any further South. The Frey men are spread thin right now. Black Walder has a small amount of men at Seagard keeping an eye on Jason and Patrek Mallister. I don't think it would be hard for you to take some men and liberate Seagard. I'm sure Lord Jason Mallister would be grateful to you for your assistance and would be willing to offer whatever men he could muster to help you march on the Twins." Stannis held up a hand to forestall any objections before he could finish talking. "Hopefully, by the time you rode on the Twins, my army will be within in striking distance on the other side of the Green Fork. I expect Lord Walder to send for assistance the moment he gets wind of the army marching his way. However, I doubt the Crown will be willing to offer any help. As I said before, they have problems of their own. And the River Lords will be slow to answer his summons. I doubt Walder will put up a fight, but I imagine he will attempt to wait out our armies and hope that help arrives."

"And what happens to the Twins when the siege is over?" Olyvar asked quietly. He had been unable to figure out why he had been summoned to meet with the King along with the others. And with a sinking realization, he was beginning to figure out why he had been invited.

"Lord Frey is removed from power. Your father has been a busy man, and he has many sons and daughters. It wouldn't be prudent to exile the family, there's too many of you. That leaves only the option of giving the Twins to someone in the family who I know would be loyal to me." Stannis admitted. "The only Frey I've met that _might_ fit that criteria would be you."

It took Olyvar great effort to keep from laughing at what Stannis had suggested. "I'm not the right choice, Your Grace. I know nothing about running a keep, nor do I have any ambitions to take over the Twins. I was too far down the line of succession to have had to worry about inheriting that particular job. I would have been happy with just being a knight."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Davos asked quietly. Stannis had merely kept his gaze upon Olyvar, it had seemed surprising to him that the young man would turn down the offer of the Twins.

Olyvar was quick to respond and it seems like he barely had to think about his answer. "My full brother Lord Perwyn Frey. He was sent away from the Twins before my sister's wedding to Lord Edmure Tully. It was thought that he might be too loyal to Robb Stark. He is a smart and good man, and I'm positive he would be loyal to you."

"You are certain of him?" Stannis as quietly.

"Yes, Your Grace. I doubt my father's treachery sat well with him. He would be a better Lord of the Crossing than any of my other older siblings." Olyvar said firmly.

"I will take that under consideration." Stannis promised. "And your full sister is Roslin Tully?"

Olyvar nodded his head to show Stannis that what he said was true. "Do you know what happened to her? We know so little of what is going on in the Riverlands. I was concerned for her safety after the wedding."

"She is still at the Twins and as far as we know, safe." Stannis assured him. "Her husband however is a hostage at Casterly Rock. Which brings me to my other mission for your Iron Born," Stannis said taking his attention away from Olyvar and focusing it on Theon. "With Kaven Lannister taking care of family business in King's Landing, we are presented with an opportunity."

"As you have reminded us, you have no men to spare." Yara said bluntly. "You wish us to send men to rescue Edmure Tully."

"Not many." Stannis said, "I'd prefer this mission to be one of a stealthier nature. I trust the Iron Born, at least some of them would be capable of pulling that off. Once Edmure Tully regains his ancestral home, I have no doubt he'll be happy to ally himself, and the Riverlands with me."

"Eventually the Lannister army will turn their attention to you. The chaos you speak of in King's Landibg will surely be resolved, and they'll try to do so in haste should they feel you breathing down their neck. If you start actively invading the Riverlands like you plan, you will worry the Lannisters." Manderly said.

"I have no doubt that we will worry them. However, this business with the High Septon seems to have opened a rift between the Lannisters and their biggest allies, the Tyrells." It was here that Stannis admitted that Manderly did have a point. "Of course that might be resolved, and then we would have a problem if they united their armies once more. Even if their numbers and allies were depleted in the war they would be a match for my army. I doubt the Riverlands have many men to spare, they are still dealing with the aftermath of the war. Moving with haste is our best option."

"What of the Vale, what is their status in all of this?" Arya spoke quietly, keeping any annoyance she had felt earlier at Theon, hidden. "I would hope they would be willing to side with you. Most of the Lords there have no love for Littlefinger, and for all we know he is still pretending to be loyal to the Lannisters. If you offered to help rid them of that slimy little weasel, perhaps they would add their men to yours and help you take the Throne."

"I had thought of that. That is why I will be sending Davos to open negotiations with Lord Royce. It seems that Petyr Bealish's only leverage in holding on to power is having control of little Lord Robert Arryn. He has taken the boy and has probably hidden himself at the Gates of the Moon. Choosing not to descend to the Eyrie with Winter so near." Stannis replied. "And if that were the case I doubt Lord Yohn Royce would not be happy that his cousin, who is Keeper of the Gate, would be harboring the man. The fact of the matter is no one wants to deal with the the Mountains of the Moon in the winter. I would suggest that we request that Lord Royce and the other lords of the Vale to instead, commit men to my cause. We can leave a suitable amount of men to watch the Bloody Gate to make sure that Baelish doesn't try to escape while we march further South. Then when Winter has passed and if Lord Baelish is still hanging on to life, we would promise Royce the help he needs to rid the Vale, and hopefully all of Westeros, of the man."

For a few moments those who were in the room remained silent, just taking in the information and the requests they had just received. It was Theon who spoke up first, he could tell that Arya was still upset with him and he knew they would have to have a discussion and soon. "Then I suppose we all have much to prepare for. May we be dismissed so we can start?"

Before Stannis could say anything, Melesandre leaned forward in her chair so that she could quietly address the King. "My King, you must let them know of what we discussed earlier."

Davos who had heard her, shifted uncomfortably from where he stood. He too lowered his voice. "Your Grace…" he had started to say.

Stannis raised his hand to quiet the both of them. Stannis's expression hardened slightly as he gave consideration to those that were seated in the room. "As I'm sure all of you are well aware that I have pledged my faith to R'holler, Lord of Light, and the one true god. I have every intention of spreading the word of his love throughout the realm and it will be the official religion of my kingdom."

Arya narrowed her eyes at the words she had heard come from the King's mouth. The man didn't seem particularly pious to her, and her gaze shifted briefly to the Red Woman who wore a small smile on her red lips. Arya had no doubt that these words were heavily influenced by her. A nervous energy filled the room, everyone knew where this conversation was going to head, and no body liked it.

Sansa was the first of them to speak, "forgive me if I am mistaking, Your Grace, but it seems to me that you are on the verge of asking us to renounce our gods in favor of this…R'hollor."

"He is the One True God." Melisandre said "the ones you follow now have no power over the Lord of Light. You must give up your false gods. All of you Northern Lords will be expected to."

"Are you mad?" Arya asked incredulously. "You cannot ask that of any of us, no Northern Lord will give up their Old Gods, you cannot make them."

"They will if their King commands it. And should it come to that, we would burn the trees that are worshiped." Melisandre said in a voice that said she believed it would be done.

"If you asked this of them or burned their trees, they would not bend the knee to you, and they would not consider you their king." Sansa said in the calm voice her sister had lacked. "They would turn against you."

"The king who liberated them from Roose Bolton?" Melisandre asked.

"The King who _benefited_ from Lord Manderly, Lady Brienne of Tarth, and myself from liberating Winterfell and the North from Roose Bolton, you mean." Arya spat, "or did you forget that."

It appeared that Arya had gone too far with those last words, and Stannis's voice rang out. "Enough!" He waited until he had everyone's attention. "It is true that I benefited from your work, but it is also true that I offer you the protection of my army. We are helping each other in all of this. "

Manderly cleared his throat when he saw that the King was done talking. "If I may, Your Grace, the two girls have the right of it. Even if Lady Arya could have been a bit more tactful. It would be a mistake to demand this of the North. They are a prideful and stubborn people, and they love their gods the same as you with this red god…the same as me, who still holds to the Seven. If you force this upon them, they will fight against it. And you would be left without their support to help you in the South. And if you burned their trees, they might even fight and bloody your army before you even make it South of the Neck. Is that a risk you are willing to take, Your Grace?"

"You know he speaks the truth, My King. Do not think that you can force this. When Aegon the First conquered all of Westeros, he allowed the people to worship as they would. He may have been a Targaryan but he was wise in that respect. Do you want your people to hate you? Have you not learned what happens to the kings who have subjects who despise them?" Davos asked.

"If you must, spread word of your Lord of Light." Offered Manderly before the King could respond. "Tell them of his great deeds, have your Priestess guide those that wish to convert. You might be surprised and win some people without force, but let them come willingly, and in their own time."

Stannis looked from Manderly, then turned to measure Davos's expression that was a mix between hope that Manderly and he had succeeded in getting through to Stannis and fear that they had not.

Melisandre seemed concerned that they were starting to sway him to their way of thinking. "My King, you must not…"

But Stannis interrupted her before she could say anything more. "I see the logic in what you say and I will think on it."

"My King!" Melesandre said, for the first time her face showed anything but smug, disdain for those around her. She actually seemed to be frustrated that the King was not solely listening to her council.

"I said I will think upon it!" Stannis harshly said the words before she could beg of him anything else. He stood up quickly from the desk that had once been Eddard Stark's. "You are all dismissed." And without so much as another glance or word to anyone he strode quickly out of the room.

There was a moment of stunned silence. Without a word, Melisandre stood up, her eyes casting a quick glare at Davos, recognizing that he had perhaps won this match in their never-ending war. But then she lifted her chin as an act of defiance and gracefully swept from the room. Lord Manderly struggled of his chair and looked to Davos.

"Perhaps some ale would make this sour taste in my mouth go away. Would you care to join me Ser Davos?" Manderly asked tiredly.

"I think I could use a drink." Davos said wearily.

The two of them bid their good byes and started off toward the kitchens to fetch their refreshments. That left Sansa, Arya, Theon, Olyvar, and Yara sitting quietly for a few moments before Arya abruptly stood up, fuming over how the entire meeting hand gone. She was silent as she stomped out of the room, more angry at Theon than anyone else. The other four watched as she angrily left the room. Theon with a sigh of resignation stood up, ready to go after his wife.

It was Sansa who stopped him by standing up quickly. With a pointed look to her good brother, she said, "allow me to go check on her. I know you have preparations to make for the trip you are about to take. Perhaps I can calm her down enough so that the two of you can talk civilly to each other." Without waiting for Theon's consent she simply glided out of the room.

"Well, your wife is certainly angry with you." Yara said finally walking away from the place at the fireplace that she had held for the entire meeting.

"Yes and she's going to be even more upset with me when I refuse to let her come with us to the Iron Islands." Theon said glumly to his sister.

Yara simply shrugged as if she could care less about his marital problems. "It's probably for the best. I'm not sure our dear father will be in any mood to greet his new daughter." She paused for a moment and then asked him seriously. "When should we leave?"

"I'd like to know that too." Offered Olyvar. "I thought you might like to have some company on your trip." He gave Theon a small, knowing smile. He had figured that Theon would dread making this trip alone with a sister who, until recently, was more like an enemy than family.

Theon felt some of the tension he was holding in his shoulders loosen. He had hoped Olyvar would want to come with him, but he hadn't been certain that he would be willing to go to the Iron Islands. He gave a quick nod and a small smirk to show his thanks to Olyvar and then said to Yara. "The sooner the better. I was even thinking of sneaking out of here tomorrow morning before too many people would notice us."

Yara smiled at this. "You're going to sneak out on your new bride, aren't you Little Brother." She even chuckled a little when Theon nodded is head in the affirmative.

Olvyar's face went a shade paler. "Gods am I happy I will not be in Winterfell when she finds out what you've done."

_—_

When Theon went to the room they shared later that night, Arya was already there. After they had all dispersed from the solar, Theon had not seen her for the rest of the afternoon and the evening. It felt like she had been avoiding him and it was hard for him to figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Apparently she was a lot angrier about that meeting than he had originally thought.

He stood in the threshold of the door to the room, he leaned against the jamb, unable to think of anything to say to her. He crossed his arms wondering if he should even enter the room. She was sitting at a small writing desk that had been in the room, probably taking notes on some of Witnerfell's affairs. She seemed tense as she wrote the last little bit of work on the parchment before her. She set the quill down on the desk beside the paper and straightened her back. She still didn't look at him, but she saved him from having to be the first one to talk.

"I don't like the way that Red Witch looks at you." Her voice was quiet, and he had to strain to hear what it was that she said.

It was a surprising first thing for her to say. And he couldn't help but smile a little in amusement at it. "Is that what you've been so upset about today, then?" He couldn't hide the mirth in his voice and he should have realized that was probably not what she wanted to hear. "You're jealous?"

Arya scoffed at his question. She turned in her chair finally bringing her angry, gray eyes to bear on him. "Don't be an idiot. Of course I'm not jealous, she looks the same way at Yara. She looks at the both of you as if you're nothing more than cattle. You heard what she said when she found out Roose Bolton was dead. She said he wasn't of royal blood but he still would have been a useful _sacrifice_. A human sacrifice, and she seems to think a person of royal blood might make a better one."

Theon rolled his eyes, and pushed himself up so that he stood upright again. "What does that have to do with me. You forget I'm not of royal blood." He sounded almost flippant about it, but in the back of his mind he remembered that the first time he had met her she had mentioned something about this royal blood.

"Your father, declared himself a king. Didn't he?" Arya shrugged her shoulders as she stood stretching her back. "Maybe that's all she needs to justify her _sacrifice_."

Theon moved so that he stood before her and placed his hands on her waist, pulling her into a light embrace. Then gently said, "then it's a good thing my sister and I will be leaving soon. She won't be tempted to burn me."

She lift her hands and rested them on his forearms, and she had to stop herself from pushing herself away from him. Her eyes darkened at the mention of him leaving. Her lips curved downward into an annoyed frown. "Why did you stop me from asking Stannis if I could go with you?" She paused, then muttered as an afterthought, "And don't think that he would be able to stop me." Then a little more firmly. "And I am going with you."

Theon let out a small sigh. "Now we come to the real reason you're so upset." Reluctantly he let her go and backed away from her, moving to sit down heavily on the bed. "The simple answer to your question is that I have no intention of allowing you to come with me."

"Allowing me?" Arya asked, her cheeks flushing pink in anger.

And instantly he realized he had used the wrong choice of words. She was far too independent for him to think that she didn't have any say in what happened to her. He supposed that had been one of the reasons he had been drawn to her. She was so different than the women he would have been expected to marry. He preferred her this way, but gods it could be frustrating when he was trying to protect her.

"Seven Hells Arya," Theon said in exasperation, "you know that's not what I meant." Another sigh expelled form his lips. "The thing is I need you to stay here. Stannis has got me running to my father, who will probably not like that I married someone from the North. I'm Ironborn, I'm supposed to marry someone from the Islands. That's only one of the many things that I've done that my father is not happy about. You understand that I will be asking him to give up his crown so he can bend the knee to Stannis Baratheon? _Stannis Baratheon_ the man who dealt a significant blow to my father's fleet off of Fair Isle and allowed King Robert to the Iron Islands so my father's first rebellion would be squashed. Right now, the only thing that can truly hurt me is if my father somehow managed to do something to you. I don't want you anywhere near him."

Arya leveled him with a glare. "Do you really think your father would do anything as stupid as hurting me? He would risk the wrath of the North, not to mention Stannis. Your father's position is already precarious. He must have known that the moment he found out Yara was first taken hostage. He stopped his raids on the North."

"But he did not give up his claims on the Iron Islands as being independent from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms." Theon argued, "and my father hasn't always been known to act rationally. If he did, he would never have turned against your brother. And it's not just my father that has me concerned. Stannis has asked more from me then he originally did. I have to help Jason Mallister regain full control of Seagard. Black Walder is there, and his reputation is not a pleasant one. Chances are I will have to fight."

"And I would be at your side." Arya said.

"I know, and that terrifies me." Theon said. "Even if we managed to take Seagard without much resistance, I then have to take what Ironborn men I have and whatever men Jason Mallister has and I have to march them to the Twins. While Stannis seems fairly certain that there will be a siege, one that will be easily won, I still can't take that chance with you. You've already lived through your fair share of hell. I don't want you there again."

"We both lived through the Red Wedding." Arya said quietly. "We both lived through fleeing the Riverlands. I lived through Petyr Baelish kidnapping me and forcing me to marry a monster. I can handle your hostile father on the Iron Islands, a skirmish to save Seagard and a siege on the Twins." Arya said stubbornly.

"That's exactly why you shouldn't have to be subjected to more danger. You've done your part. I haven't. Let me handle this one." Theon pleaded.

"But you'll be alone. I'm not saying I don't trust your sister." She paused a moment as if giving this a second thought. "Okay maybe I don't completely trust her, but you need someone to watch your back. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"Neither would Olyvar, and he offered to go with us." Theon reassured her.

"Good, then you'll have two people I trust watching out for you." She said with a knowing smile. She could tell he was about to protest but she stepped over to where he sat and placed her hand on his lips to keep him from talking. "You aren't going to win this battle. I won't sit here safely at Winterfell while you risk your life."

He looked up at her with a look of resignation. He knew that she was right, if given the chance to discuss this further, they would only succeed in talking in circles and eventually she would wear him down and he would give in. She always did. _Always._ That was why he let the conversation die. He had already made up his mind that she would not come with him. That was why he had made those plans with Yara and Olyvar in secret. He would allow her to think that she had won. He didn't want to waste the night that would probably be his last with her for a long time, fighting. He kissed the fingers that rested on his lips lightly and then lifted his hand to take hers away from his mouth so he could talk.

"We'll discuss this further in the morning," he said quietly, knowing full well that by the time she woke up, he would be well away from Winterfell. She would be angry with him, he knew, probably for a long time, even after he returned to Winterfell. But it would be worth it, knowing that she was safe. "For now I just want to be with you without having you stare daggers at me."

She offered him another small smile, and then leaned down to place a small peck upon his lips. "I suppose that will have to do for now."

_—_

_It was dark. So dark that Arya could seen nothing before her, but somehow she felt compelled to walk forward. She was alone and even though the darkness surrounded her, she did not feel afraid. She did not walk far when she started to see some change in the surroundings. At first it was gradual, the blackness started to lighten to grey. It was more of a hazy, fog now rather then a solid wall of black. She took this as a good sign and continued to walk, and the further she went, the lighter things became. There still wasn't a whole lot to look at, and as the grey fog hung in the air, she felt as if the space was empty. But still she walked. Eventually she started to pass shadows, they were still and tall. Arya couldn't tell what they were as the fog still lingered and at first she passed them intermittently. But as she continued forward, in a path that seemed to have been predestined for her, the shadows grew closer and closer together, and little by little the fog lifted. Not completely but enough for her to at least see what the shadows were._

_ They were trees, and eventually she recognized that she was wandering through Winterfell's godswood, going in a direction she instantly knew as the path to the heart tree. There was still a fog that surrounded her, but now that she knew her surroundings and that she was some how being pulled in the direction of the heart tree she felt comfortable taking a faster pace. It did not take long for her to come to the place that was calling her. However the tree was not what had drawn her gaze at first. No the first place she looked to was the small pool of water that was within the clearing with the heart tree. That was because at the edge of the pool there was already a figure there._

_ The figure was a surprise to Arya, not because it was a dire wolf, but because of which dire wolf it was. It was Lady, who stood at the edge the pool. Her head lowered as she daintily lapped up the water to quench a thirst she must have had while she waited for Arya. Arya had no doubt that Lady had been waiting for her, it felt as if this whole walk had been planned out for her. Which at any other time might have put her on edge, but there was some sense of peace within her that put her at ease._

_ Lady must have sensed Arya enter the clearing, because she stopped drinking and picked her head up from the water. She craned her neck so she could look curiously at Arya. Her ears perked up and she let out a small yelp of excitement. Arya only took a few steps forward before Lady padded gracefully to meet her. Without much thought Arya held out her hand and the wolf nuzzled slightly against it with a soft little whimper._

_ When Arya found her voice, she could barely speak above a whisper as she looked in wonder at the wolf who had once been Sansa's. "It's good to see you too girl." Arya's heart clinched slightly as she remembered the day Lady was brought back to Winterfell and how Sansa must have felt when her wolf had been killed. She allowed a bitter sweet smile to touch her lips. "Do you ever get to see Sansa like this?" Arya was beginning to realize she was dreaming. And it felt odd that her mind would think to bring Lady into her thoughts while she slept._

_ Lady let out a gentle bark, which Arya took to mean that Lady did manage to visit Sansa in her dreams. It was this that reminded Arya that her dreams were not always just dreams. "Good. I think she needs you more than I ever would." When Lady let out a small, hurt whine, Arya smiled. "That's not to say I'm not happy to see you," and she scratched the wolf behind her ears. But still, it perplexed her that Lady would come to her. Perhaps the meeting with Stannis earlier in the day and the disagreement she had with Theon had weighed more heavily on her then she had thought._

_ She had been so lost in these puzzling thoughts that she failed to realize another figure had slipped through the trees and the fog that still surrounded the clearing. It was the small, playful growl had caught her attention and her head snapped instantly to the direction that it had come from. Had she not already been with Lady, she would have been surprised to see Grey Wind standing there next to the the heart tree. Arya's smile grew a small fraction. She was able to raise her voice slightly as she called out to him. "I suppose I should have known you would show up too." Grey Wind's reaction was to bark happily several times._

_ Arya had wondered why he made no move to come closer to her. But it became clear only seconds later. He had simply been waiting for his master. "Robb." Arya's voice could not make any noise past a hoarse whisper due to the large lump that had formed within her throat. He was the same solid, strong figure that she had remembered him to be, before his life had been taken from him. She could feel her eyes starting to fill with tears that she desperately hoped wouldn't leak out on to her cheeks._

_ She could tell he was enjoying her surprised reaction at seeing him, for his eyes glittered in amusement and a small smile was forming on his lips. "You're not going to hit me again, are you?" He raised a hand to his jaw, as if he was reliving the memory of when she had been so angry with him that she had resorted to violence. "Because I remember how much that hurt during our last reunion."_

_ Arya couldn't bring herself to take a step forward. Perhaps some part of her thought that he might disappear in a cloud of smoke if she moved. But as it turned out, she did not need to move at all. It was Robb who walked the short distance from where entered the clearing to where she stood. He pulled her into a tight hug. At first she was stiff within his arms, still not quiet believing that he was there. But as the embrace continued she could feel his warmth, which allowed her to relax a little, and tentatively she raised her arms to return the hug._

_ They stayed that way for a few seconds, and then almost at the same time they pulled away from each other. Despite her fears that this particular dream was too good to be true, Arya felt herself begin to smile as she looked up at her oldest brother. His own smile mirrored hers. He raised his hand and ruffled her hair in the same way both him and Jon had done when they were younger. "It's good to see you again, Arya."_

_ "Gods, I've missed you." Arya answered in a small voice. "I had been afraid that I would forget your face. It seems like it has been an age since I last saw you. And even then, I was so angry…" Her voice trailed off and the sadness that entered her tone caused him to lose his smile._

_ "I made some foolish decisions in my life, little sister. I deserved your anger. And if I could have changed some of the choices I made and some of the men I trusted I would have. But I also know that you have forgiven me for what I almost made you live through. I should have known that a Frey would not have been a suitable match." The small smile returned to his lips. "I think I knew who would be a suitable match the moment Theon admitted to me that he had feelings for you. I'm glad you remedied the mistake I made when I didn't arrange that particular match." He said with a hint of teasing in his voice. "He'll be the husband you need him to be, and he really does love you."_

_ Arya rolled her eyes at her brothers words. "I know that." She let out a sigh and then offered Robb a half smile as she remembered the conversation she had with Theon earlier that night. "He's an idiot, but you're right. He knows me, and he treats me well. He makes me happy, even when I don't have much to be happy about."_

_ Robb had been about to respond to her, but his attention was caught by something that was just behind her. Something that Arya could tell pleased him greatly and it made her heart begin to beat faster. It wasn't hard to figure out who might now be standing behind her. Lady was there siting quietly next to her, as she talked with Robb. Grey Wind paced back and forth just behind Robb, stopping every once in awhile to look first at his master and then at Arya. And then there was Robb. She had never thought she would have had a chance to talk to him again. But here he was standing before her. The only thing that would make this dream complete would be for her parents to be there. Robb's shoulders shuddered in a silent chuckle, and all he did was nod in her direction as if to tell her to turn around to see what he had seen._

_ And so she did. When her eyes rested upon Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Stark, she couldn't help but let out a small sob, bringing her instantly back to when she was a little girl and the entire Stark family was still in tact. Without thinking she dashed over to where the two of them stood. Her mother's eyes shone with unshed tears and her father looked upon her with the stern face he usually wore that was only softened by the twinkle in his eyes at seeing his youngest daughter. The moment she reached them they each lifted an arm to envelop her into a double embrace._

_ "I've missed the both of you." She managed to choke out. The sound of her voice was muffled because her head was buried into her father's cloak. "I've felt so lost without you, half the time I don't even know what I'm doing. Every time things seem to be getting better, something else happens to make it worse. And I don't even know if what I am doing is the correct thing. Sansa tries to help, but I think she might be just as afraid as me."_

_ Arya would have continued to babble on if her mother hadn't interrupted her. "Shh, you've done the best you know how and you've done it better then I could have ever hoped." Cat patted her daughter's head in comfort and allowed her fingers to run through her hair soothingly._

_ Reluctantly, Arya pulled slightly away from her parents so that she could look up at them. She looked to her mother, "but I've killed people." Then she looked to her father, "one in not such an honorable way." She thought back to the Frey man she had killed when they were traveling through the Riverlands._

_ For a moment Eddard said nothing, he just looked at his daughter, there was a sad, haunted look in her eyes that made Arya's heart clinch, had she disappointed him so terribly? Finally he spoke, "you did what you had to Little One and I am sorry that circumstances brought you to do those things. I wish I could have protected you from that. Perhaps not all your choices were wise and you've made mistakes. The gods know we all have. But despite those mistakes you've managed to protect not only yourself, but your family, Winterfell, and perhaps the North."_

_ "Not on my own." Arya said quickly._

_ "Of course not." Eddard agreed. "Your sister has done her part as well. I am proud of both of you. And you have also managed to find some true friends and allies amidst all of this tragedy." A small smile of amusement graced his face, "you even managed to find a husband, something I was not certain I would have been able to do for you had I lived."_

_ Catelyn let a small laugh escape her lips and Arya looked to her mother. "Although I think your father might have been a little surprised at who you had chosen for a husband. I seem to recall him thinking that Theon only thought of you as a sister. I wasn't always happy that the two of you spent so much time together. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize the two of you were a good match."_

_ Arya offered a weak smile to her mother, and then looked to Eddard again. "Do you approve?"_

_ He nodded his head once, and then with a sigh, he said, "the two of you are good for each other. I believe you complement each other. You seem to both have a way of calming each other's restless spirits. And he makes you happy, what more could a father ask for his daughter."_

_ A weight that Arya hadn't realized had been on her shoulders lifted. She hadn't been aware that she worried about what her parents might have thought about her and Theon marrying. "Good," was all she seemed to be able to say._

_ It was Robb who spoke next and he cleared his throat gently. "I don't think we have much time left to us Arya and you still seem troubled." He tried to lighten the mood by teasing her a bit, "and I doubt all you wanted to talk to mother and father about was whether or not they approve of your husband."_

_ Arya craned her neck to give Robb a bit of a scowl that really had no strength, because if she thought about it, there really was something that was bothering her. She took another step back from her parents and her lips tugged down in a bit of a frown. It took her a moment focus on what really had her unsettled. Then all of the sudden it came to her and she looked directly at her father. "Stannis." It was a simple word, but her father instantly knew why she was bothered._

_ "You're worried you're making a mistake in backing his claim to the throne, if you really should have Rickon bend the knee to him?" Ned asked quietly._

_ Arya nodded eagerly. "That Red Witch seems to have his too much sway with him and I don't like this business with her Red God. What if we are making a mistake in trusting him?"_

_ "He is the rightful King of Westeros, Little One." Eddard's eyes cast a regretful glance at Robb, knowing that his son did what he felt he had to do and hating how it brought him to his death. "Robb tried to break the North free of the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, and he failed. As heart wrenching as that is, it is a fact of life, and now you must stand with the man who by law should have the Throne. I would have backed him myself had I lived. I may not agree with his methods and I may not worship his god, but he was Robert's heir."_

_ Arya still did not look convinced, "but what if he makes us give up our gods. What if his witch decides to burn the trees, or worse yet, burn people who don't agree to change the gods they worship?"_

_ At this, Eddard let out a small chuckle. "That would be foolish of him. And he hasn't done anything of the sort yet. If he is smart he will see that the Northerners are stubborn and would not dare burn their trees. If he wants that throne, he'll need men to help him win it. He cannot alienate those who would fight for him. So he will not decree a change in gods until he has a firm grip on the crown. Hopefully by then he'll have plenty of other wise advisors around him then just this priestess, to keep him from doing something so foolish."_

_ Arya seemed to give this some thought. Davos seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and Stannis seemed to listen to him. And she recalled that Stannis also seemed to have a respect for Lord Manderly's wisdom and the Lord of White Harbor would always take Northern interests to heart. Perhaps her father spoke the truth, so she nodded her head to show that she understood._

_ "Don't question yourself, Little One. You are doing fine." He lifted a hand and rested it on the crown of her head. And somehow with that gesture Arya knew that their time together was coming to an end. She let out an unsteady breath, willing herself not to cry. "I don't want this dream to end." She said quietly._

_ "Who says this was a dream child?" Her mother asked gently, taking Arya's hand in hers and giving it a small squeeze._

_ Arya shrugged her shoulders, "almost none of my dreams are this good."_

_ "Perhaps it is a dream, perhaps it is not." Eddard said with a gentle smile. "But it was your restless spirit that drew us here. We came to give you what comfort we could. Perhaps the gods are being kind to you by letting you see us again after all you've been through. Or perhaps it was the gods being kind to us, letting us see you again."_

_ Arya nodded her head dumbly. "No matter what it is I am happy it happened." She paused as another thought came to her mind. "If only you three and Lady and Grey Wind visited me, does that mean Bran truly is still alive?" The spark of hope she always held for Bran blazed slightly as she thought about this. "And that Summer is still protecting him?"_

_ "Bran is playing the part he has to play." Her mother said quietly and there was a hint of sadness in her tone._

_ "He still lives." Robb said quickly to reassure his sister. "But it is unknown if he will ever be able to return home, to Winterfell."_

_ Arya frowned at this. "It is enough to know that he still lives."_

_ "Of course it is, he is doing as he must. The same as we all are." Eddard said firmly. Her father rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. He gave her one last smile and Arya knew that this was good bye. "Good bye Little One, know that even in death I am still looking after you. I may not be able to help you directly, but I am always there." And even though he did not say it, she could feel his love for her._

_ Her mother leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I am so proud of you and your sister. I love you both very much, please tell Sansa that for me as well." Arya nodded her head to show that she would, she was unable to trust her voice, because the lump had formed there once again. Before she realized what she was doing she leaned forward and gave her mother a quick, tight hug to tell her that she returned the woman's love._

_ Arya turned to Robb and managed to give him a brave smile. Robb answered the smile and leaned forward to give her a kiss on her forehead. He managed to keep his voice even when he spoke. "I know you think that Theon can be a bit of an idiot at times. Just remember, when you wake up, that everything he does now, every choice he makes…he does it because he thinks it will protect you. So try not to be too hard on him the next time you see him, okay?"_

_ Arya gave him a puzzled look, but he just offered her a wink and then turned to join his parents who walked a little ways off towards the weir tree. Grey Wind offered her a good bye bark, before Robb called for him and that left Lady to make her good bye. The wolf nuzzled her hand, and Arya looked down to her. Lady's tongue brushed across the tips of her fingers in a gentle kiss. Arya smiled and then whispered to her. "Good bye girl." The wolf whined sadly and then nuzzled against Arya's hand again. Instantly Arya knew what the wolf was trying to communicate. "Don't worry girl, I'll give Sansa your love, too." This caused the gentle wolf to let out a happy, if quiet bark. With a couple of happy wags of her tail, Lady turned around to join the others at the tree. They all gave Arya one last look and then turned to walk into the mist that had started to gather again._

_ Once they were gone, everything went black and suddenly Arya woke up._

The moment her eyes reluctantly opened she knew that something was off. She could not say just what it was that bothered her, her head was still foggy and her mind was still trying to sort through the dream she had just had. She did not know if it had been more than just a dream, and even if it was only her mind trying to bring her some sort of peace in all of her confusion, she was grateful to have had a chance to see her dead family members faces. And in those few precious seconds between saying good bye to them and waking up her mind was at peace. But then her eyes opened and something just felt wrong.

Then it came to her in a sudden flash of clarity. The space beside her bed, where Theon was supposed to be was cold and empty. Instantly she shot up into a sitting position. "Theon?" She called out gently, hoping that he was still within the room and just not within her immediate line of sight. She looked around the room, the light from the fading fire and from the dull morning sun that trickled in from cracks in the shuddered windows enough for her to see that the room was empty.

Her heart sank a little. It was true that he might have risen early and gone to take care of some errand he had forgotten to tell her about. But she knew him, and she should have realized that he had given up on their little fight the night before far to easily. In her heart she knew that he had slipped away from the rooms while she slept. She knew that she would not find him in the stables, the kitchens, the armory, or anywhere else in Winterfell. She would not find Olyvar nor Yara either. He had left for the Iron Islands without her.

Her first reaction had been anger. Of course it had been, he had tricked her, he had let her think that she had won, when all along he was planning to sneak away. He hadn't even considered the possibility of her going with him. Her blood boiled a little when she realized that he had made this decision solely on his own. He hadn't even said good bye to her. That thought cut through her anger a little bit like a dagger. He hadn't said good bye…what if something happened to him? What if he didn't return for her? He hadn't given her the chance to say a proper good bye to him. That thought brought the anger back to the forefront.

With more force than she intended she pushed the covers off her and stood up quickly. She had every intention of dressing and then promptly making preparations for her to go after her foolish husband and his two companions. She knew she was a better rider than him, and she would be traveling alone so she only had to worry about herself. She knew in which direction they were going, she would be able to catch up to him. She was not about to let him get away with this.

However, she stopped short when she saw a piece of folded parchment resting upon the pillow he used. Sarcastically, she wondered if he thought this counted as a proper good bye. So angry was she that she reached for the piece of paper with every intention of ripping it up and tossing it in the fire without even reading it. She very nearly did just that, until she remembered what dream Robb had told her. Theon did what he did with every intention of protecting her. Reluctantly she unfolded the letter.

Theon's hand must not have been steady. The words were written in haste and looked clumsy and she wondered if he had written this by the fire light after she had fallen asleep. Her heart clinched again, the underlying fear of her not seeing him again was back. Didn't he think about what this would do to her, being parted from him once again? She used the sleeve of her night dress to angrily wipe at the tears that started to fall from her eyes. And now he had made her cry and it was worse because she couldn't tell if they were tears of anger, sadness, or panic. Gods, Theon, you're such an idiot. Were the words that howled through her mind.

Once she was able to calm herself enough she started to read the words he left behind.

_Little Wolf,_

_ First let me say this, I love you. I know you are angry, of course you're angry. But I'm willing to risk your wrath to make sure you are safe. But please know that I'm not doing this just for you and not even just for me. You have to realize that Sansa and Rickon will need your help. I know Sansa is capable of running Winterfell by herself, but she values your help. Not to mention that Rickon is still very young and some of these Northern lords might try to influence him. He'll need both of you to look out for him and to help guide him. You did your part for protecting your family when you helped liberate Winterfell. You were in harms way long enough. You don't need to risk your life again. Now it's my turn to protect you and to make sure everyone I love is safe. So, don't do anything foolish like try to follow me. I know you're probably making plans to do just that. But please think of all the people who are relying on you at Winterfell. I am going to miss you, and know that you will always be on my mind. I will try to conduct my business in the South as quickly as I can so I can com home to you, where I fully expect you to berate and insult me. I will take all the punishments you wish to exact on me, gladly, because I'll be reunited with you. I love you and I know you love me too, even though you probably don't want to admit that right now. Just know that I will come back to you. Good bye and stay safe, keep your brother and your sister safe._

_ Love always,_

_ Theon._

She frowned as she read his words. She hated him because he actually used some fairly sound reasoning as to why he left her there. She gripped the parchment tightly causing it to wrinkle in her hands. She was being unfair, she didn't hate him. How could she hate him for doing what he thought was best for her, no not just for her but for everyone they cared about? But that didn't mean that she wasn't very, very angry with him. When he returned, and she _knew_ he would return, they would talk about just how dumb he had been. He shouldn't have been so sneaky, he should have talked to her about it. (Although to be fair, even she knew just as much as he did, that she wouldn't have listened to his reasoning.)

With a heavy sigh, Arya moved to sit down on the bed with resignation. She would do what he had asked of her, this time at least. She would stay put in Winterfell and help Sansa to watch over Rickon. She closed her eyes and counted to ten willing herself to stay calm. She offered a prayer to any god who would listen to keep both him and Olyvar safe and alive and even added Yara into it as a last minute thought. She knew the next few months were going to be trying, and any time she wasn't angry with him, she was going to be scared that something had happened to him. Finally she whispered to herself, "I love you Theon Greyjoy. You better come back to me."

—

**Author's Note:**

To WeylandCorp 4: Thank you so much! I find I'm drawn to the unique pairings, and I've always loved Arya and Theon…but I never find all that many of them. They always seem to be Arya/Gendry. And yes you always do seem to find the same pairings over and over. I myself don't understand the whole Ramsay/Theon ones…it might be the whole control thing. I guess some people like that. Like I said before, I will try a Sansa/Theon one, I do have to give it some thought. I have a ton of ideas for Arya/Theon (my favorite pairing) that I want to try so if I did Sansa/Theon it would probably be kind of a side fic. More about what's happening with Jon will come out in the next chapter or so. And more Stannis stuff of course. We probably won't actually see a lot of it, rather hear about it, because with this fic I kind of made the mistake of only focusing on Arya and Theon. And when some of that stuff happens, Arya and Theon won't be there first hand. Sorry I took a couple of weeks on the update. It's been another busy month!

To Lord Carrion: I absolutely LOVE your idea of having Manderly on Stannis's council. I just might use it :) Haha I'm glad you liked the Lord Bolton suicide. I kind of chuckled while I wrote that. Thank you for the review!

To Jean d'arc: Okay, okay, okay. Sorry I took so long with this one too. But in my defense it wasn't as long as the last delay. :) And it was oddly therapeutic to write Roose's death…I just wish it would happen in canon! Thank you for the review! (And I hope you liked how I kind of, sort of got Cat in this chapter a little bit.)

To ATP: Thanks for another review! I'm probably not going to write much about what's going on with the wilding and the giants or really much of what happens near the Wall in this particular story. Mainly because neither Arya nor Theon will have much to do there. Those fights will belong to Jon and others. I might do some side fics at some point that tells those stories. The same goes with Petyr. Although…yeah… he doesn't have much of a future I don't think. I do plan on at least writing some scenes where the characters do hear about these things and what happens though, so we won't be left totally in the dark.

To Lady Shadowrider: Thank you again so much for your awesome review. I still have one or two chapters left in this one depending on how long I want the next chapter to be. There will also be an epilogue. So I'm not quite done with this one yet. But I've been thinking about what I want to write. So I hope my other stuff will prove to be as enjoyable as this story is. :)

To MomiWolfie: Again thank you for all the reviews on the individual chapters! They seriously mean a lot to me. I love getting them.

To berserkerbeast: Thanks for the review! I'll keep writing. :)


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's Note: **Okay…so… hey everyone. I guess I'm back. And let me say I'm very sorry for my long (but totally necessary absence). Long story short, I got pretty sick at the end of last year and even after I recovered (months later) it was very difficult for me to get my creative juices flowing. Even now, this chapter is a pretty tame one. So please bear with me as I find my creative footing again. I kind of wanted to write a nice sisterly moment with Sansa and Arya and of course give Rickon some love (after this season). After this chapter, things will start happening again. I have plans for Theon and Co on the Iron Islands and a little bit beyond. Jon will be entering the scene soon as well as some other things I've got planned. I have decided that there will be a sequel, because some of the stuff I want to happen will need more view points than just Arya and Theon. So in the next few chapters I will be wrapping up this particular story. Hopefully I will be able to make updates a bit more frequently. Just give me a couple weeks in-between as I get back into things. (I promise I haven't given up on this story)

**Chapter 37**

Sansa sat quietly on a bench, in her lap was some of the needle work that she still sometimes used to to distract herself from the burden of everyday life. For the moment it lay untouched and her eyes watched the flames of the fire that danced in the hearth. Her mind had wandered, for this had been the room that she had spent many hours attending her needle point with Arya and her mother, while her younger brothers played at their Mother's skirts. And for a brief moment she wondered if she should have stayed out of this room as the melancholy threatened to over take her. Her family was all but a shadow of what it had once been. For now all she had was Arya.

It was as if Arya had known what her sister's thoughts were, because from the corner of her eye, Sansa had glanced a movement and when she turned her head her sister lurked in the doorway. Her grey eyes just as clouded as they had been everyday since Theon's departure. Sansa sensed the younger girl still had a bit of anger, worry, and hurt running through her. She supposed she could understand why Arya had felt the way that she did, Theon had acted rashly when he stole away in the middle of the night leaving Arya in the safety of Winterfell's halls. He should have known what that would do to Arya, and yet Sansa could not blame him either. Although that might have been a bit of a selfish thought on her part. She would have been devastated had Arya went with him to the Iron Islands.

Instead of voicing her thoughts, Sansa simply raised an eyebrow at Arya and let a hint of a smile grace her lips. "And is your temper as black as ever?" Her tone was light to give it more of an air of teasing than of rebuke.

Arya's frown deepened slightly at that. "I haven't been that bad."

At her sister's look Sansa couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "No, I suppose not. The servants are terrified of you. Haven't you noticed Brienne and I are the only ones who will talk to you without it being a matter of importance? Even Pod goes out of his way to avoid you."

This seemed to give Arya pause. If she thought about it, there was a decided lack of human interaction since Theon had departed for Pyke. And, of course she wasn't one to go out of her way to talk to anyone unless they spoke to her first. She would have rather been alone to stew in her misery, so she could revel in her feelings of anger and fear, mingled with just a hint of guilt. The only company she truly tolerated at the moment had been Nymeria and even she was little comfort. She had thought she had been more subtle in showing her feelings. "I haven't been harsh with anyone. Why would they fear me?"

Still an amused smile played on Sansa's face. "Your very aura betrays you, Sister. It's as if you have a dark cloud hanging above your head. And you are not known for your even temper even on your best days." Sansa motioned for her sister to come and take a seat on the bench next to her. And as her sister did as she was bid, Sansa's tone became quiet and one of understanding. "Everyone understands."

Arya rolled her eyes at that. "Everyone understands that my husband is an idiot?"

Sansa scoffed. "Even you don't believe that."

The were both quiet for a moment, finally Arya filled the silence with a resigned, "no." She closed her eyes in frustration. It was just the two of them now, so she dropped the tough exterior she had hoped to maintain until her husband returned. She leaned forward rested her elbows on her knees and raised her hands to cover he eyes. Her entire body screamed of her weariness. When she spoke again, she uncovered her eyes and rested her hands on her knees, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm scared I'm going to loose him. We've had so many near misses where we thought the other dead or in a danger that we could not rescue the other. And I thought that when we said our vows before the heart tree that everything would be different, that we would never be torn apart again. And then he did this! He forced us to separate again, without even letting me have a say in it." By the end the anger born from fear started to creep in again.

Sansa frowned, in both sadness and compassion. She could almost feel her sisters pain and fear as if it was her own. She scooted closer to Arya and draped her arm around the younger girl's shoulders in a small hug. "I think that he might fear that too. Perhaps that's why he left, perhaps he fears his father will mean to do you harm. From what I know of the Iron Islands, his match with you would not be a welcome thing in Balon Greyjoy's eyes. He might have even already had some Iron Born lady picked out for Theon long before any of these wars erupted. Perhaps Theon would rather be parted with you for a little while, to ensure that he would not be parted from you forever, should his father seek your death to free his son of a wife."

"Balon would not be so stupid." Arya dismissed.

"Balon has tried to break free from the rest of Westeros, Balon has tried to invade the North with his small band of raiders. So Balon has done some fairly stupid things in the past." Sansa countered, "and when it comes to you, I doubt Theon would take any chances, for it's not just his father he has to contend with. He has to seek the help of the entire Iron Islanders if he is to help free the Mallisters, Edmure Tully, and then go on to help Stannis take the Twins. Our King," Sansa said the title carefully, almost as if she had to remind herself what they had offered to gain Stannis Baratheon's help, and then she said again, "our King has given both Theon and his sister a monumental task. And I also think he knew that being away from Winterfell, from me and eventually Rickon would be hard on not just you, but the rest of us as well. Father often had to leave Mother so that he could do his duty."

In Sansa's words Arya detected truth, for she had heard those same truths from Theon's mouth in his initial arguments for her staying here. After a few moment's silence, "I suppose," Arya relented as cast her gaze at Sansa. Looking at her sister, listening to her defend Theon's actions made her mind flash back to the dream she had on the night that Theon had left. Robb had pleaded her husband's case in that dream, and now hearing Sansa's words while Arya was awake did not make Theon's leaving any easier. Again there was a silence as Arya lost herself in the memory of that dream. Then almost without thinking she said, "you're not the first one to try to talk sense to me in this way." And now Arya lowered her voice. "I dreamed of them Sansa."

"Of who?" The tone in Arya's voice had heightened Sansa's curiosity and she couldn't help but wonder if the dream was no ordinary one.

Arya had stayed silent for a moment. She had yet to share her dream with anyone. She had felt it too private and she was scared that any of the magic she may have felt would fleet away from her once she told someone of what she saw. She lifted her grey eyes back to her sister, and for a brief moment she felt a sudden guilt when she looked at the curious gaze Sansa returned. She had made promises in that dream, to her mother, and to Lady, to give her sister their love. Had Lady ever visited her sister?

"Robb and Grey Wind." Arya's voice was now only a whisper, and Sansa had to strain to hear her sister. Arya cast her gaze away to look once more at the fire. She wasn't sure she should feel foolish for telling her sister or guilt that she hadn't told her sooner. "And of Mother and Father. And Lady."

"Of all of them?" Sansa asked, and Arya could hear the jealous tinge in her sister's voice.

Arya's only response was a small nod of her head and then she looked to her sister again. She saw the sad frown and the hurt look in her eyes startled Arya. She had not meant to make her sister feel such discomfort.

When Sansa spoke next, her voice was measured as if she was trying to hide any hurt she had felt. "I…I have only dreamed of Lady." Sansa admitted.

"It was only a dream." Arya said in what she hoped was a dismissive way.

Sansa let a small smile tug at the corner of her lips. "No, it wasn't. Or at least it didn't feel that way, otherwise you would never have shared with me that you dreamt of any of them." She shook her head when she saw Arya's disbelieving look. "I've dreamt of them too Arya…but only in that vague, shadowy way that dreams are. For you to even question it means that it was too vivid for you to dismiss it as just a dream. Perhaps you've only convinced yourself it was a dream, because of what it might mean to you if it was really a vision."

"It isn't that." Arya snapped. She let out a small sigh, realizing that her sister spoke true again. It was hard to admit being this vulnerable, first with how she feared for Theon and now with how real that dream had felt to her, "I'm sorry, you did not deserve that tone from me. It's true, I think that I am just afraid to believe it to be real because I want so desperately for that to be real." She shrugged helplessly at her sister, not knowing if she was explaining herself properly.

Sansa quietly nodded, "I think I understand." Then with a note of desperation in her voice, "what did they say to you?"

"Mother and Father, that they were proud of me, and that I was doing fine. Robb made a couple of stupid japes, and told me not to be angry with Theon." At that Sansa smiled a little and nodded her head in agreement. "And I think Lady meant for me to extend her greetings to you."

Sansa was quiet, and Arya could see the pain in her eyes. After a moment of silence Arya ventured one more thing, "Bran wasn't there. If this was a dream, perhaps…"

"Perhaps he's still alive." Sansa finished for her. "Out there somewhere and maybe we'll find him." With those words, a touch of hope colored her tone and then she fell quiet. Then her voice became a quiet whisper. "I envy you Arya."

Arya said nothing for a few seconds, and a flash of guilt that the gods had seen fit to send her a vision of her family and not Sansa slashed at her heart. "I…" She trailed off, realizing that she had nothing to apologize for and knowing that her sister was not angry with her, she only regretted that she had been unable to see Robb and their parents again. Finally Arya said quietly, "perhaps they will come to you one night too."

"Perhaps." Sansa echoed, but the word sounded hollow in her ears.

—

It was morning, early morning, and Arya had just slipped out of bed to start preparing for the day. As of late she had been in the habit of waking before her sister and any of Winterfell's highborn guests. It was hard for her to stay in bed when she couldn't sleep. Her bed chambers seemed a bit darker and colder now that Theon was no longer sharing them with her. She hated to admit it but she had grown accustomed to his warm body beside her. And since his departure she would rather get busy with the day than laze in bed feelingly lonely in the mornings.

She dressed in simple attire. It had not gone unnoticed to her that Stannis didn't seem to mind if she was dressed the proper attire for a Lady of her stature, and no one else said anything to her if she decided to wear leather leggings and a course linen shirt with a loose wool tunic over her shoulders. She also kept Needle at her hip. Things were still unsettled in Westeros, even if Winterfell seemed calm, she felt safer with the sword on her person.

She was just belting the weapon when there came an impatient knocking at her door. She looked in its direction expectantly, and she was just about to bid her visitor to come in when the door burst open Suddenly. She was surprised to see that it was Sansa who had so rudely rushed in, and Arya was going to comment on how unladylike her sister was being when she noticed Sansa's face. It was flushed and her blue eyes were shining. Sansa's hair, that was usually so properly styled, was pulled back simply at the nape of her neck with a hastily tied ribbon. Several strands were flying around her face. Her sister also seemed to be having trouble breathing, no doubt from rushing to get to Arya's chambers.

Instantly Arya's heart froze, had something happened? Was her sister bringing her some terrible news, instantly her mind went to Theon and Olyvar. "What is it? What happened?" Her terse words and sharp tone caught Sansa's attention immediately.

"What?" Sansa asked in confusion, it took only a moment to realize that Arya had jumped to the wrong conclusions. She couldn't help but let out a carefree laugh, which only made Arya's eyes harden. When Sansa saw her sister's expression she shook her head quickly. She could not let her smile fade though, she was simply too happy. "No, it's nothing like that!" Sansa cried. "It's Rickon. He's here, he arrived maybe a half hour ago with Lord Umber and a dozen of his household guard. Our brother is _home._"

It did not take long for the words to sink into Arya's brain. She felt a smile of her own coming to her lips. "He's here? Now, at this early hour? I thought he would not arrive for another few days. Why is he early?" She leaned forward grasping her sister's arm. "Why didn't anyone come and tell me?!"

Sansa laughed again and took hold of her sister's hand. "I do not know the answer to any of those questions! Nor do I particularly care at this moment. All I know is that one of my maids had come to wake me this morning and told me that my little brother was breaking his fast in the main hall. I came straight away to get you. Come, let us go see him."

Arya's hair was still a tangle from her night's sleep, and she did not care how she presented herself. She had been annoyed when she had found out that Theon and Sansa had discovered that Rickon was alive and had even met with him, while she had been playing her part as Ramsay's bride-to-be. But now her brother was here, and their family was once more close to being complete. At this moment she had wanted nothing more than to see Rickon. She kept a tight grip on Sansa's hand and started to pull her sister to the door. "What are we waiting for?" She looked to where Nymeria lay on the floor before the hearth of the fireplace. "Come Nymeria, I believe both of our brothers have come home."

It only took a few moments for the two sisters and Arya's wolf to reach the main hall, where true to Sansa's word, they saw a small party of men sitting at a table nearest the largest hearth. Arya instantly recognized the largest man as being the man whose fingers were taken by Robb's dire wolf back when the war had just been in the planning stages. She smiled a little as she remembered the moment that Jon Umber had laughed off his injury and knowing that was the moment that her brother had gained the respect of the Northern lords. Her eyes drifted, looking along the ranks of the Northmen looking for the tell tale signs of her brother.

Arya did not have to look long. The men had become silent when the two sisters had entered, and a boy Arya barely recognized shot up from the bench that he had been sitting at. She was was able to gain a closer look at him as he scrambled away from the table and started to race towards his sisters. Arya caught her breath as she looked upon her youngest brother. She realized now why she barely recognized him. He was taller now, he was nearly the same height as she was. His facial features had also matured, and while it was obvious he was still a boy, life had forced him to grow up and he no longer had the innocent look of a child that he had when she had first left Winterfell.

When Rickon reached his sisters, he nearly plowed into them, wrapping his arms around both of them in a brotherly hug. "I couldn't wait to see the two of you again. I made them travel through the night so that we could get her faster." He said with unbridled excitement. Just as Rickon had met his sisters, Shaggydog came out from behind the table, padding forward to meet with his own sister. He yipped at Nymeria, who gave him an appraising glance, before barking out her own greeting, both of their tales wagging happily.

Arya could not help but laugh at the wolves and Rickon's enthusiasm. "I've missed you, too, Rickon." She returned his hug, and tightened her grip on him slightly. Seeing Rickon there, being able to touch him, brought home the fact that another part of their wayward wolf pack had come home. She blinked furiously to keep the tears that threatened to come to her eyes from actually falling.

After a few seconds into the hug, Rickon pulled away quickly and looked at his sisters wearing a small pout upon his lips. "I've been here for a little while, now. I wanted to call for you both right away, but they made me meet with King Stannis. I had to bend my knee and make a lot of promises of loyalty before they let me do anything. And when that was done they told me the two of you had been sleeping and that I should probably wait until after I broke my fast to wake you." He gave Arya a teasing smile. "They tell me you're especially unpleasant if you're woken early."

Sansa had caught Arya's frown that threatened to turn into a petulant pout and she allowed herself a small chuckle. She took her brother's hand and gave it a small squeeze. "It's no matter. I was brave enough to fetch her once I was told that you had come. Although neither of us would have minded being woken up if it meant that we would be able to greet you." She widened her smile. "You're Lord of Winterfell now Rickon, you could have ordered them to come and wake us. We all would have been obligated to obey." She said jestingly.

Rickon allowed himself an almost shy, sheepish smile before he became more serious. He lowered his voice and his two sisters had to strain to hear him over the boisterous sounds of the other men in the hall who had gone back to their meal after watching the initial reunion. "I should not be considered the Lord of Winterfell, what of Bran? You don't suppose he is dead?"

Arya shared a look with her sister before bringing her attention back to Rickon, they both had strong feelings about Bran and what his fate was. "No." Arya's voice was firm as she stated what both she and Sansa felt in their hearts. "We do not believe he's dead."

"But how do you know?" Rickon insisted, but Arya could tell that he was relieved to know that his sisters had not given up on their brother.

"It's just a feeling." Sansa said quietly. The thought of Arya's dream still mystified her, and she wasn't sure she could use it to justify their beliefs to their youngest brother. "We will refuse to even entertain the notion until any one of these Northern lords can give us definitive proof. And in the mean time, you need to act as Lord of Winterfell, you are Eddard Stark's son."

Rickon stood a little straighter as Sansa's words sounded in his ears. He was still solemn when he spoke next. "And when our brother returns home, I will gladly give up the title to him. But I understand what my duty is. I will do my best." Then he paused a moment, "so long as the two of you would be willing to help me."

Sansa's heart swelled to hear her brothers words, and nodded her head approvingly. She leaned forward and gave Rickon a small peck on the cheek. "Father and Mother would be proud."

Arya nodded her head in agreement, and with a grin. said, "And I dare say you would have a hard time getting us not to help you. Between the three of us Winterfell will be safe in hand, along with the rest of the North."

For a moment Rickon gave Arya a perplexed look. "And Theon will helptoo, right? I would have thought he would have come down with you." He gave his sister an impish grin, "I had been told the two of you had married." He saw Arya's expression go stoney and quickly added, "I'm really very happy about that! You two always seemed to get on so well, and it is good now, that he is now truly my brother. I always felt like he was…"

He trailed off as Sansa started to laugh. "Don't worry Rickon, Arya's not grumpy with you. It's her husband she's upset with."

"Why?" Rickon asked innocently.

"Because went off to do something stupid." Arya said with annoyance. And before Rickon could ask any questions, Arya set about explaining to her young brother about what her husband was doing as they walked toward the table, where they would join the other Northmen in breaking their fast. And despite Theon not being with her, she was still able to feel happiness that Rickon was home.

**Author's Note:** Thanks again for those who commented and prodded at me to get back to writing. Also thanks for those who have stuck with me despite my long absence.


	38. Chapter 38

**Author's note: **so last time was a Stark reunion, this one is a bit of a Greyjoy one. It's also a chapter that sets up a bit for the next story (Yara Greyjoy will be a point of view character in that)

**Chapter 38**

Theon stood on the deck of the ship that Asha, Olyvar, and himself had boarded days ago, staring at the island that was their destination. It had started out as a small dot on the horizon, but it was becoming more distinct with each passing moment. If he squinted he imagined he could see the tall towers of a castle keep in the distance. He allowed himself only a brief moment of relief knowing that soon the long trip would be over.

And it had been along trip. They had stolen away from Winterfell in the early hours of the morning and started the journey toward Torrhen's Square. The lake had been icy and the weather, unpredictable so they had to continue on land. They tired Barrowton next, and the river there was also icy. So by land they reached the Saltspear and there, at a small fishing village they were able to hire a boat that would take them to Flint's Finger. From there they were able to buy passage around Cape Kraken and on to the Iron Islands. And now even as they were so close to the place of Theon's birth, they were still just out of reach of that final destination. The island that Theon was looking upon was not Pyke, but rather Harlow.

From the corner of his eye Theon caught a glimpse of a figure that came to slouch next to him, leaning against the rail of the ship. "Would it not be better to continue on straight to Pyke?" He murmured, he wanted to get the confrontation with his father over with as soon as possible. The faster he was able to resolve the problem of Balon Greyjoy the faster he was able to take care of the other tasks King Stannis had set before him. Then the faster he could get back to his wife. He had left her behind in the hopes of keeping her safe, but he was still restless without her. And always in the back of his mind a voice whispered that no where was ever completely safe.

Yara looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow. "No." It was a simple answer and she held a hand up to forestall any protests her brother was sure to make. "I know our father, far better than you do. He is not going to like what it is that we have to say to him, and we are going to need all the support we can get. Our Uncle Rodrik is smart and he will see reason. He might be able to help us persuade our father that we have the right of things, with this alliance with Stannis Baratheon. That is if we can persuade Rodrik to leave his Ten Towers to come and treat with our Father."

Theon frowned slightly, knowing that this visit would cause a delay that he did not deem necessary. "I suppose you know best." He admitted. It was probably for the best that his sister was with him, she understood these people better than he ever could, even though he was Balon Greyjoy's heir, he had been a child the last time he had even set foot on the Islands.

"Of course I do Little Brother," she answered with a sly grin, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. "There is also the fact that our Mother is there, I thought you would like to see her first."

Theon looked to his sister in surprise. He had thought Alannys Greyjoy would be at his father's side. "I suppose that would be a…a welcome reunion. Perhaps she too could add a voice to our cause." His voice showing some doubt at his words. He remembered his mother, a proud, hard woman who had turned sad once his brothers had died. He remembered those last days he had spent with her, she had seemed especially bitter.

When Yara saw his confusion she let the corners of her mouth turn down in a frown. She let out a slow, shallow sigh. "I should warn you." She looked out thoughtfully into the horizon toward the coast of Harlow Island. "She is not the same woman you remember. The years have not been kind…."

"Is there something wrong with her?" He asked, but the question seemed hollow. It surprised him that he didn't feel any more emotion at this revelation except for a distant, dull sadness. It was hard to feel anything for a woman who was just a childhood memory.

"She has never really been the same, not since our brothers died, and then she lost you too. I think she always blamed Father for losing all her sons. I didn't seem to be enough for her." There was just a hint of bitterness in her voice. "In the years that followed your departure, her health started to deteriorate. Slowly, and at first it was just physically, eventually her mind started to go. Before the war, father had sent her to her brother at the Ten Towers to keep her out of his way. It was getting harder to take care of her and he was too busy with his own plans." She trailed off in silence.

Theon was content to let the subject lie, he felt guilty for not feeling more than just superficial emotions at the news that his mother was unwell. They stayed silent, watching the island and the keep come closer. Eventually Yara did speak again. "I know that it probably doesn't effect you the way it does me. You only had her for a few years where as I grew up with her. She is your mother, and I don't think she ever forgot about you. The last time I saw her, it was difficult. She sometimes forgets that Rodrik and Maron are dead, she asked about them. And then when I told her that they were not here, she asked me to bring you to her. I think she had forgotten that Father was forced to give you away."

Theon said nothing. There was a brief flash of pity for the woman who was his mother and with Yara's words a new sense of sadness settled into him. Yara gave him a quick nod and then gestured to the Island. "We're almost there. I'll go tell Olyvar to get ready to disembark." And with that she left Theon to thoughts of the family that he had left behind, the ones he had all but forgotten during his time in the North.

—

Upon arriving at the Ten Towers, Theon, Olyvar, and Yara were immediately ushered to what the servants referred to as the Book Tower. He had always been under the impression that most Iron Born were not especially fond of the knowledge that books could bring them. Theon wondered if there was a different reason for the name and what could be the meaning behind it. When he posed the question to his sister, she simply shrugged her shoulders with an amused smirk touching her lips. A few moments later, when the were led through the door leading into the tower, the reason became clear for the name.

There simply was no deeper meaning for the name, other than it housed a vast amount of books and scrolls. It was even more surprising when Theon realized that the unassuming man who sat in a comfortable chair near the fire with his nose in a book was his in fact the Uncle that they came to see. He supposed his **Uncle** being known as Rodrik the Reader made sense now.

"Nuncle!" Yara addressed the man amiably. It took a moment for the man to look up from his book, it was as if he wanted to finish reading some final bit of information before he turned his attention to his niece. Yara laughed at her uncle's reluctance to look to her. "Is this how you greet your long lost niece? I would have thought you would have been more excited to greet me after my long stay in the North!" She teased.

Finally the middle aged man looked up, his eyebrows raised in surprise, but a small smile playing upon his lips. "Yara?" His eyes then drifted to Olyvar and eventually rested on Theon. There was recognition in that glance, but Theon couldn't be sure if it was because he wore the Greyjoy sigil upon his breast or that the man actually recognized him for who he was. "And Theon too I see."

"Don't sound so surprised, Nuncle." Yara said with a smile as she made her way to the man in order to embrace him, once the book was put down safely on a side table and the man had stood up and accepted his niece. "I had a raven sent as soon as I knew we would be coming."

"I did not think it would be so soon." And with those words a small shadow flitted across his face. Yara had seen the expression, as fleeting as it had been, and was about to ask her Uncle what it was, but he had gave a small shake of his head to forestall her questions. Instead he brought his attention back to Theon who had also stepped closer to the two of them. He gave the boy, _now the man _he thought to himself, before him. He tried to appraise the man that Theon had become, but he could tell little from just looking at him. So he simply said to him, "welcome home, my Prince."

Theon winced at the title, and that did not go unnoticed by Rodrik. "It is good to see you again Uncle." Theon said formally. Although, he could only remember having ever met the man once, before he was shipped off to Winterfell. He raised his right hand and gestured to Olyvar who stood slightly behind him. "And this is Olyvar of House Frey."

If Rodrick was surprised by the introduction of a Frey that was traveling with his niece and nephew, he didn't remark on it. Instead he gave Olyvar the smallest of nods in greeting and then brought his attention back to Theon. With a bit of sigh, that spoke only resignation he simply said, "I would have thought your wife would be with you."

"So you heard about that?" Yara said as she sat down unceremoniously on the seat that her uncle had vacated.

"Yes, the news of Theon marrying one of those Wolff girls has been spreading rapidly around the Islands. I suppose some might think it's a scandal. It was well advised of you not to bring her here." He let out what could only be called a tired sigh. "Especially now." He turned and bid a few servants who were working in the library to bring some chairs closer to the fire for his guests. "You all should sit. We have much to discuss." There was a now a note of sadness in his tone. "None of it is good."

At his tone Yara sat straight in her chair. She could tell that something was wrong. "Is it mother?" That had been her first thought, she had been so frail when she had last seen the woman, she would not have been surprised if her Uncle's news was about the woman taking a turn for the worse.

Rodrik shook his head and waved Yara's worry away. "No not your mother." Before he continued on with his news he waited for Olyvar and Theon to sit. He gave the Frey boy a quick glance, "I trust that since you are in the company of my Nephew that he trusts you implicitly. And while I do not know Theon well enough to make any judgements on him, I do trust Yara, and she seems to Be at ease with both of you."

"I trust them Uncle." Yara said, and it was close enough to the truth. While she still had issues with her brother, she realized that in everything they do from now on would be for the best of the people of the Iron Islands, and while Theon had other motives, they were still working for the good of her people.

Rodrick nodded, "then I suppose it would be best to state that what we discuss does not leave this room. When he received confirmation to to this request he continued on. "I am saddened by the fact that I could not give you a better welcome home Yara." He looked to his niece, because he knew how the news would effect her. And his heart sunk a little when he saw her worried expression. "I'm sorry Yara, and I guess to you too Theon. News of your father's death came only a few days ago."

There was silence in the room. Yara stared unblinkingly at her Uncle, her mouth in the shape of a surprised 'O'. Theon felt the the frown he wore deepen. There was no sadness, at least he didn't think there was sadness. How could he be sad? He did not really know his father, if anything he should have been relieved. He would not have to try to reason with his father, perhaps this would make things that much easier. By law he was heir to Pyke, he should be considered King, it would make it easier to bend the knee and all of the Iron Born would be sworn to King Stannis Barotheon. But he knew the situation, he doubted any of these men would listen to him, and things could never be as easy as simply taking his place at Pyke. Perhaps that was why he didn't feel relief. Instead he just felt numb.

Theon could feel Olyvar's eyes upon him. He turned his head and locked gazes with his friend. It was clear that Olyvar was concerned for Theon. As best Theon could, he tried to ease his friend's concerns with a simple shrug of his shoulders to show that he was as fine as could be expected.

Only after the room was silent for a few moments, did Yara speak. Her voice was low and measured, as if she was trying to keep her emotions in check. "And what happened to him Nunckle? He was in fine health when I last saw my father."

"There was a storm, and it seems your father attempted to cross the bridge between Pyke's towers and fell to his deaths on the rocks and sea below," replied Rordrik.

"That makes no sense." Yara stated bluntly. "He crossed those bridges daily, rain or shine. A stray wind or slippery wood would never have bested my father."

"Aye." Rodrik agreed. His frown deepened as he continued, "the Silence arrived the day after your father died." He looked to Yara as if that should mean something.

Theon looked at his sister and from her expression, he saw that it did. " The Silence?"

Yara's brow furrowed and cursed under her breath before answering Theon. "Our dear Uncle Euron's ship, our father exiled him years ago, for what I do not know. And now it would seem he has returned at a very convenient time." Her eyes narrowed as she brought her attention back to Rodrik. "Do you suspect his hand in my father's death."

"Of course. And I'm not the only one. But there is no proof."

"Then I shall kill him myself, proof be damned." Yara vowed.

"Yara." Theon hissed, they had other work here on the islands before she could be sidetracked by bloody vengeance.

"I know Brother." Yara snapped. "But our father has been murdered, and I will not stand by while his murderer is free. And don't think for a second that leaving him alive would be the sensible thing to do. Do you think he came back to idly sit by while you take up the Seastone Chair at Pyke. Pull your head out of your ass Brother, he's after the Kingship."

"Yara is not wrong." Rodrik said mildly. "And I'm sure that he'll soon know that the two of you have come home and that you'll both be vying for the throne. Not only that your Uncle Aeron, is using his influence as a most devout priest of our Drowned God to call the captains to a King's moot I doubt he want's Euron to be King any more than he wants you in that chair." He looked pointedly at Theon.

"Can he do that?" Theon asked. "Just call a King's moot, despite my being here, legal heir to Pyke?"

"It is rare, but yes according to ancient law he can. As I've said, I don't think most of these captains who will be voting on the issue would deem you to be a proper Lord Reaper of Pyke." Rodrick said

"Aeron is nothing more than a crazy old priest." Muttered Yara. "If he doesn't hope for Euron to win the throne, than who does he want?" But before Rodrik could answer Yara shook her head, she already knew the answer. "He must mean for our Uncle Victarion to put his name forward." She gave her uncle a piercing look. "Do you think Victarion will try to claim it?"

Rodrik shrugged his shoulders, "perhaps. He too, has returned from raiding the Northern coast. Your father had called him back when you were taken as a Stark prisoner. He had left a small garrison to hold Moat Cailin, but things were already falling apart there. The crannogmen of the Neck made life miserable there, and without your Uncle there to hold order, the Boltons were easily able to win back the Neck. Although, from everything we've heard the Bolton's are no longer a threat." Rodrik sighed, "this whole war was a mistake. We should have allied ourselves with one side or the other. If only Balon could have seen that."

"Are you the only one who thinks that Nuncle?" Yara asked tentitivly.

"I know where you are going with this Yara," Rodrik said with a shake of his head. "There are a handful of lords and captains who think this way. But not enough for you to put your name forward, Yara, or Theon. I'm not even sure if you could, considering neither of you captain a longship." He saw that his niece was about to argue, "do not forget you lost it when you lost Deepwood Motte."

Yara glared at her Uncle, "that can be remedied."

Rodrik looked at her sharply. "And what crew would you take. It seems to me you lost men to that bastard of Bolton. And you'll find sorry few men who would be willing to follow you now. There are some that say you both have been tamed by the wolves, with you being married to one," he nodded to Theon, and then brought his attention back to Yara, "and you now seemingly allied yourself to them and by extension Stannis."

"What choice did I have? Honestly, Nuckle, we can not win against any of these Kings. You just said it, it is better to ally ourselves with one, then at least we can keep control of our Islands and not have some other King impose some Lord from the main land to keep us in line." Yara protested.

"You know my stance is the same as yours. But most of these men cannot give up the past, and their Old Way. They will flock to Victarion, because I have no doubt he would mean to finish what your father started. And Euron has not been idle since he's come home. He's been talking and making friends with many of the the captains." Rodrik said.

"And we do not have time to try and gather support." Theon said quietly. "Stannis has more for us to do than fight for my right to rule at Pyke. We needed Ironborn men to help us." Even as he said this he did not know how he would be able to do any of his King's tasks without any support from the people he should have considered his own. "I suppose we have wasted our time." He said bitterly.

"Perhaps," Rodrik admitted. "But there has been at least one time where the King's moot decision has been overturned. I'll let you read the book that tells of it, should you like. There might be a way to convince some of the more reasonable lords, that your marrying the Stark girl could benefit our situation. We will have stronger ties to Winterfell and the North. With Winter nearly upon us, that could prove useful."

"The Ironborn will have a hard time accepting her." Yara said realistically.

"I have no doubt it will be hard for her." Rodrik said.

For the first time Olyvar let out a small chuckle and spoke up, "I doubt your Ironborn will understand what hit them when Arya Stark arrives on these shores."

There was a hint of a smile on Theon's lips. "Aye, she'll hold her own. But that will not be relevant, if I am forced to abandon Pyke, and that seems likely."

"Let me think on this a little longer Nephew." Rodrik said, "but first why don't you tell me what exactly it is that King Stannis had asked of you, besides taming the Iron Islands."

With a sigh, Theon started, "that I try to retake Seagard and restore it completely to Jason Mallister. He also wants me to find a small group of men willing to sneak into Casterly Rock and free Edmure Tully, so that once Stannis has won back Riverrun, he can be given his rightful seat. Then I'm go to the Twins and help Stannis deal with the Freys." The list sounded impossible as he recited it.

Rodrick let out a bitter laugh. "Is that all? I suppose Stannis thought you could easily take control of the Iron Islands and that you'd have men at your disposal. It's men I can offer you. Perhaps enough to help take Seagard. We would have a powerful ally in Seagard if you managed to help rid Mallister of his Freys. I take it King Stannis didn't entrust taking Riverrun as well?"

"No, I believe, he'll leave that until after he deals with the Twins." Theon said sullenly.

"Well, let us deal with one problem at a time." Rodrick said. "I have much to consider." He looked tired all of the sudden, and he looked to Yara, "there are some people here who would be eager to see you back safe." Then he addressed them both. "And the pair of you should see your mother." He stood up slowly and beaconed to Yara, come "I'll take you to my guests." Then he addressed Theon and Olyvar, "I'm sure the two of you are tired after your long journey. I'll have you brought a proper meal and then have some servants show you to your rooms." And with that he turned to leave.

Yara followed after him. She gave her brother a look that was almost apologetic. It was then that Theon saw the sadness in his sister's eyes. He had to remind himself that she was grieving for their father, even if he was not. It was almost a relief when she walked out of the library, and the door shut firmly behind her.

"We'll figure something out." Olyvar ventured when they were alone. "We always do."

"I hope so," Theon said quietly, "but I fear we'll end up disappointing our King."

Olyvar nodded his head in agreement, not knowing what to say. After a few moments of silence, Olyvar spoke again. "Are you alright," he paused, "I mean about your father?"

Theon took a second to reflect on what he was feeling. "Yes, I am alright." He finally said. "It's more as if I don't feel anything. I'm simply indifferent. He was my father yes, but it was Eddard Stark who raised me. I grieved more for him. I do not feel, happy as one might think at my father's passing, because in the end I suppose he was ultimately an enemy, nor do I feel sadness. I feel strangely numb."

Olyvar had some idea of how Theon felt. "I wonder if I would feel the same should the same fate befall my father." He let out a short bitter laugh, "not that I have any delusions as to what will happen to my father should Stannis gain victory over him."

—

"When you see her," Yara started, and then cut off as if she didn't know how to tell Theon what was on her mind. They stood outside the room of the solar that was solely used by Alannys Greyjoy. She let out a frustrated sigh, "just remember what I told you, she is not the same woman she was when you were a child, before you left us. Just be patient with her. Alright?"

"What is it you think I plan to do to her?" Theon said a bit impatiently. He knew his mother was sick, he had been told that already.

"Just…" again Yara was struggling, "her, condition can be a bit jarring."

Theon just nodded his head, and then motioned for Yara to open the door. He was as ready for this reunion as he was ever going to be. Yara's only reply was to open the door, slowly, it seemed she was being cautious. Theon couldn't help but wonder if she was afraid of what she might find behind that door.

"Mother?" Yara called out quietly once the door was open and the two siblings stepped in quietly. The two of them looked on a waif of a woman, sitting idly by a window, staring out at the waves beyond. Yara called out a little more forcefully, when the woman did not immediately respond. "Mother?"

This seemed to catch the woman's attention. "Yara is that you?"

Yara offered the woman a small smile. "Yes. And I brought someone to see you." She said with a bit of forced cheerfulness.

"Oh?" Was the woman's only reply as she brought her yes to rest upon Theon.

Theon was taken aback by the look she gave him. And for a brief, surprising, moment there was a sharp pain at the realization that there was no recognition in it. But before he could say anything, Yara stepped forward, leaned down and kissed her mother gently on the cheek. "Yes, Mother. I brought you Theon, remember the last time I was here, you asked me to bring him to you. And as you can see I did."

A crease appeared in Allyss's forehead. "That is not Theon, Theon is a little boy. Who is this man you've brought to me. He resembles your brothers, is he a distant relation of your father's?"

It was all Theon could do not to gape at the woman who was his mother. Yara had led him to believe that she wasn't well, but he had not been prepared to see that she Was in the process of loosing her mind. Surely she couldn't believe that Theon would be returned to her the same age as when he had left. Yara looked to Theon helpless, her eyes giving him a look that said _I prepared you for this, _and he wanted to scream at her that she had not prepared him enough. Instead he steeled himself and took a step forward, leaned down and kissed the woman on his cheek.

"No Mother, Yara has the right of it. I _am_ Theon, not the boy you knew, but now a man grown." He said gently.

Alannys, looked up at her son, she studied him for a few moments, and then the fog seemed to lift from her eyes, and they sharpened in intelligence. "Theon?" she whispered.

He nodded his slowly, keeping a careful eye on his mother.

His mother quietly said, "come kneel before me, let me see what the Wolves have turned you into."

He gave a quick glance to Yara, but then knelt like a child at his mother's skirts. Yara only shrugged her shoulders, but then said to her mother. "He's married one of those wolves mother." Theon gave her a sharp look, but she only smiled at him. Their mother would have found out sooner or later, and eventually Yara knew that her mother would forget the news.

There was a sharp look in the woman's eyes as she heard that news. "Your father agreed to this?" Theon looked at Yara alarmed, and he saw the horror in her eyes as well. Rodrik had said the death of her husband seemed to make Alannys's condition worse.

"Mother…" Yara started, about to tell her again about Balon.

But was interrupted by the whisper of her mother, who was carefully studying Theon's face. "You look so much like your brothers." And instantly the light had faded from their mother's eyes. "Perhaps when you come back you could bring them to see me as well."

Theon blinked at the sudden change. Should he tell her that her oldest sons were dead. To make her feel that obvious pain again, felt cruel. He glanced to Yara for help. She looked stricken at what she had just witnessed, just as much as Theon was. But instead of saying anything to him, she simply leaned forward and kissed her mother on the forehead gently. "Of course mother."

Over the course of the next quarter hour, Yara tried in vain to coax there mother back into lucidity. Theon stood in the background, feeling pity for the woman his mother had become. He had fragments of memories from his childhood and his mother, before he was sent to Winterfell. He remembered her a sad, but brave woman and certainly not the broken woman who sat before them. He couldn't help but wonder if Balon having to send his only living son away, had added to the obvious strain his mother must have felt. And if he wanted to look hard enough inside his heart, he supposed he felt a little guilt for not having been there for his mother, even if it had not been his fault. Then if he looked further inside himself, if that was truly the reason he felt guilty, or did he felt guilt for not feeling guilty. Because if given the chance to change anything, he wouldn't. He had made a life for himself amongst the Starks, he would not apologize for that.

But the woman was his mother, and now that he had seen her, he felt an inkling of responsibility. When his duty to King Stannis was done, and he had done all that he could to help the man win his throne, and Pyke was restored to Theon, he would come back and take his place on the Seastone chair. He would bring his mother back to Pyke and he would take care of her, and hopefully make up for all his years of absence.

—

When mercifully their visit with their mother was over, they made their way once more to the Book Tower. They were to meet Rodrik there, along with Olyvar and someone else that was of Yara's acquaintance. Theon thought it might have been one of the people that their Uncle had said would be happy to see Yara home. He was not left in suspense long, as they entered the library, his eyes slipped easily over the two men that he was acquainted with and rested upon the only stranger in the room. The man was of a height with Theon but he must have been older than him, perhaps closer to Yara's age. He was clean shaven and his stance was one of a fighter. It was obvious that this man would be a dangerous foe.

Theon looked to his sister to, eyebrows raised in question as to who this newcomer was. Yara easily took hold of the situation. "Theon this is Qarl."

"Qarl the Maid," the man took over, "I'm a fighter of some renown in the Iron Islands. And served aboard your sister's ship."

Theon raised an eye at his boast, apparently he was supposed to know who this man was, but he did not. Nor was he impressed by the introduction, if the man was so fierce then how was it he remained free at Deepwood Motte when his sister had been taken by Ramsey Bolton. He shrugged his shoulders in indifference, "how is it that you are free when my sister was taken?"

Qarl let out a small chuckle, "we were out numbered, some of us managed to get away. We knew that Yara was taken, and we knew she would be a valuable prize. We knew she would not have been killed. So we did what we had to do to survive. We retreated back to the Islands for help."

"And we know that father was hesitant to act against Robb Stark, he was biding his time. By the time Qarl took it into is head to gather his own men to come and get me, things in the North grew…complicated." Yara said harshly.

And Theon wondered if the two of them had this talk in private already. So he let the subject drop. With a final glance to Qarl, Theon shook his head dismissively, then looked to his uncle. "Well, Uncle, I take it you've called this meeting for a reason, shall we get on with it."

"Aye." The older man nodded. "Yara and I have made some plans." He raised a hand to hold back any of Theon's objections to being left out of the planning phase of what was to come next. "Relax boy, she came to me with a plan of her own, and while I don't think it's a sound plan, I think it might work if she can pull it off."

Theon looked to his sister with his eyebrows raised.

"I go to Castlerly Rock and retrieve Edmure Tully." Yara said bluntly. "I think I could sneak into the Castle with a handful of trusted men just as easily as you or some other man. However I trust myself more with this kind of work."

The look Theon shot her was both full of shock and disbelief. Was his sister mad? He had figured that saving Edmure Tully would not be an option, as he didn't think there was a way to spare any man their Uncle saw fit to give them. They would need them all to take Seagard. But now his sister was offering to go herself. He simply shook his head. "That sounds dangerous, not to mention we haven't even discussed the details on how to sneak into the Rock."

Olyvar spoke up as well, "aye, and the it is famous for being impossible to break into. It was the one thing that bothered me about this particular task Stannis sent us on."

"I think I can handle myself." Yara said in amusement. "But if it's details you want, well then, there are plenty of tales of there being caves and caverns underneath the castle. It just so happens, that Qarl here knows of someone who may know of just the sort of cave we need."

Theon shot a glance to Quarl, his eyebrow raised in disbelief. "That is convenient. And you are sure this someone is trustworthy?"

Qarl laughed, "of course he isn't."

"But it is a start, and we'll get this man's help to lead us inside. If he's lying." Yara said, "well, we'll figure that out if it comes to that. But a smaller group of people I know and trust would be the ideal way to sneak in and save Tully. " Yara paused a moment. "Look this is what Stannis wants from us. He set us two tasks, one gain help from the Iron Islands. We have help from One of its lords, our Uncle Rodrik. Perhaps not a lot of men, but it is something. And Stannis sent us to retrieve Edmure Tully. We won't be able to give him the ships and men he wants but we can give him some. And if I can rescue Tully, all the better."

"She's right." Rodrik said curtly. "Victarion and Euron both have more support than either of you will ever garner. Especially with the two of you talking about allying us with another Baratheon. If you wish to retain your rights to Pyke, you're going to need help and Stannis is the only one who's offering, and the North is in no position to help on their own. If we help both Tully an Mallister we have two Riverlords that owe us a favor."

Clearly this was a decision Theon had no part in, both his Uncle and Yara had already discussed it amongst themselves. Perhaps he would have to keep an eye on the two of them, he hoped their discussions would never amount to anything against him. "Fine, and now, how will I be expected to take Seagard. I pray the two of you have thought of that."

"We never discussed that." Yara said, almost as if she could tell what Theon had been thinking.

"No, but I have thought of it." Rodrik said. "We still get boats in that have visited Seagard, so I'm still informed of what happens there and of the rumors sailors hear in the taverns. As of right now, it's garrisoned lightly. Apparently the bulk of the Frey men that were there have been recalled to the Twins." Rodrik said with a bit of a smile, "I'm sure that is in light of Stannis Baratheon, making his way South from Winterfell and King's Landing seems to be indifferent to Lord Frey's plight. I would wager that has Walder Frey most concerned. I have no doubt Walder has recalled a lot of men in preparation of King Stannis's arrival at the Twins. Which should make your job a bit easier. Jason Mallister is still at Seagard however under the watchful ey of some minor Frey. I can offer you enough men to take Seagard. No one will be expecting an attack by way of the Iron Islands. They all think we have our own troubles. Nor would they expect us to sidewith Stannis."

"You would take a great risk in helping us Nunckle. You allowing Theon to take any men would be suspicious to the rest of the captains." Yara said quietly.

"True. But I can send men off to raid as I like and that is what I will claim I did. Seagard is a worthy town to raid." Rodrik said.

"And it is unlike you to do that in recent years." Yara murmured.

"Perhaps, but that will be my burden to explain." Rodrik said. "Should anyone ask about it. And I have no doubt they will. I've decided to go to the Kings Moot." He dismissed their surprised looks. "We'll have need of allies in the Islands for when we try to make a move against whoever wins the Sea Stone Chair. That will be the place to find them. I doubt I'm the only one who thinks us claiming ourselves independent of Westeros a folly."

"It sounds a dangerous game Uncle." Thone said quietly.

"Aye, but no more dangerous then what the two of you will be playing at. In fact I'll be safer than you two in a lot of ways." Rodrik said.

And Theon realized he was right. Yara was offering to go upon a task that seemed all but impossible and he himself would be wading into battle. At least that was something, he wouldn't be playing the spy nor would he be sneaking about trying to find a way into an impregnable fortress. His job in all of this seemed pretty straight forward.

When no one said anything for a short while, Rodrik nodded his head. "Then I think our business here is concluded. I'll give you the names of the men you'll be taking with you. I'll leave the planning of the details of each of your tasks to you. I've offered what I could. I wish you both luck. I suppose you'll both be leaving Ten Towers in a few days, and I myself have plans to make. Just make sure the two of you manage to make your farewells to both me and your mother before you leave."

—

Author's Note

to Takai-taka: Thank you, I'm happy you like it.

to Lord Carrion: I always pictured Rickon to be end game for Winterfell, and I too want Stannis to win...

to Momiwolfie: Hope this was enough of the Iron Islands! The sequel will have more.

ATP: Osha is at Winterfell, I didn't add her because I wanted to focus on the Starks. She will in the next chapter.

to Jean d'arc: Thank you so much, and I am better now. And Rickon will stay alive thank you very much :)

to anon guest: Thank you, I'm glad you stuck with the fic. I have had fun writing it, so it makes me happy to know people enjoy reading it.

Otspock: High praise indeed! I am humbled.


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's Note: **Okay so the creative juices were just not flowing for me this past month and I've been really busy. I think it's because I've just written another set up chapter that will lead some characters into the sequel and i'm finding the writing tedious. (Jon and Sansa will both be point of view characters.) I'm thinking one more chapter and an epilogue for this particular story. Anyways, thanks for being patient. Personal thanks at the end of course.

**Chapter 39**

Arya stood in Winterfell's practice yard. The day was cloudy and cold, everything seemed grey, except for perhaps Arya's mood. There was still that dull ache in her heart from missing Theon, but he had managed to send a raven from his uncle's Ten Towers keep. He had kept the missive brief and said nothing of what he was doing, but reassured her that he was safe. For now, that was enough and she was happy. The departure of King Stannis, his army, and most of the Northern lords over the several days, had also brightened her mood. They now only had to tend to Queen Selyese, Princess Shireen, Melisandre, the Queen's guard, and a contingent of Umbers who had stayed behind. And even they didn't seem a burden now that the number of people at Winterfell had dropped drastically. Arya even had some free time.

On this particular afternoon she was spending that time with Rickon. He had grown up since she had last seen him. When she left Winterfell, he was a child who practiced with a child's wooden toy sword. Now, even though she still viewed him as a child, it was obvious that he received some serious weapons training. The Umbers had not been lax in teaching him to fight. Arya and her brother had started by practicing a bit of archery, but soon Arya gave up in frustration after realizing that she lost some of her skills over the past few months. After that, Rickon decided to show off his skill with a wooden staff. Arya stood to the side of the yard, with Nymeria and Shaggydogg lounging at her feet and watched the Rickon spar with a guardsman.

Arya noted that Rickon seemed to handle the weapon with ease. While it wouldn't have been her weapon of choice, she preferred steel to wood, she realized that he could use the staff to defend himself if he ever needed to.

"He can handle a spear just as well. I made sure of that." Said a voice pulling Arya out of her thoughts.

Arya turned to look at the woman who joined her. Instantly, she recognized the wilding woman that seemed to be her brother's shadow. For a moment she did not say anything, she just gave the woman a guarded look. The first time the two of them met, Arya managed to subdue her with Needle. But now, if everything that she had been told was true, this was a woman who helped to keep her youngest brother alive. Finally offered a hesitant smile. The woman had proven her loyalty and if Arya could manage to have some trust in Theon's sister, then perhaps she owed this woman just as much.

It did not take Arya long to recall the woman's name. "Osha, right?" Arya asked. The wilding woman nodded her head yes. Then Arya looked back to Rickon. "Him learning how to handle himself in a fight, that is your doing?"

"Aye, at least with a spear and staff." Osha shrugged, "Umber's men took it further with bow and sword. He's young still, but he can defend himself. Before the winter is out he'll have use of that skill."

There it was again, the promise of some threat greater than the ones they've already faced. Theon told her what Jon said, about the dead rising and Others being seen North of the Wall. She heard Osha's claims even before she had left Winterfell. The news was ominous, and she tended to believe what Jon's words. But still in the back of her mind she kept wondering if he was overreacting, it was all so fantastical. Even though she knew she was being foolish, she held on to those fleeting hopes. Arya shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold afternoon.

Arya shook her head, trying to get ride of the sudden fear she felt and focused on watching Rickon. He seemed happy, and that was enough to put the smallest smile upon her face. _She was with family again._ Before she even realized she was saying it, in a soft voice Arya said, "I thank you for keeping him safe." She pulled her attention away from Rickon and looked seriously at Osha. "You are no longer considered a captive here. You have gained your freedom. You kept my little brother safe. I know that your intention was to go as far South as you could. It's dangerous, what with the wars and with the King now also marching South to start the fighting anew. But I know what you fear what is coming from the North. I understand if you feel you have to go and take your chances with the living, rather than the dead."

Osha managed an amused smile at Arya's ramblings. "Realize that I could have left at any moment since I left Winterfell with your brothers. There was nothing keeping me there, other than the love that I found for Bran and Rickon. It is still there Lady Arya. Don't worry, I thank you for formerly releasing me. But I won't leave him, I love him as if he was my own family. I know that while I am by his side he'll have at least one protector who will remain as loyal to him as his wolf."

Arya studied the other woman for a moment, and realized that every word she said was true. In some strange way, this woman made her feel better. Arya knew Osha would die for Rickon. She nodded her head in understanding, then brought her attention back to Rickon. "Thank you," she said again, after a few moments of silence.

That was all that was said between the two woman. It was all that needed to be said. Perhaps in time they would even become friends. But for the moment, they only had one common thread ,and that was the boy that was sparring before them. It was only a few moments when their companionable silence was broken by a horn blasting from the main gates.

"Men from the Night's Watch. Open the gates!" The faint cry could be heard.

Arya looked at Osha, puzzled. They had not expected any of Jon's Brothers to make the journey South. She frowned, wondering what could have prompted them to make this visit. Had something terrible happened? "Stay with him, he'll want to come see what this is all about, but do not let him out of your sight." Arya commanded, a bit of fear boiling up within her. _Was Jon okay? Was there another attack on the Wall by the Wildings who had escaped Stannis? Were the Others finally making an assault on the Wall?_

She waited until Osha nodded her head in understanding and then all but ran to the main court yard. Just as she arrived she saw three men on horseback, all dressed in black trotting through the keep's gates. She had no notion of who the other two men were, but easily recognized the rider who had led them. It was Jon, and even though she knew that something was amiss, that nothing short of extreme circumstances would bring the Night Commander South, she could not contain her joy at seeing him.

"Jon!" She cried out, just as he was dismounting his horse. Without hesitation she ran to where he was.

There was a smile upon his face as he turned to towards his sister's shout. Absentmindedly he shoved the reins of his horse over to a stable boy, just in time to catch her just she plowed into him. He wrapped her into a bear hug and couldn't help but laugh. "It's good to see you too, Arya."

After a moment, she reluctantly pulled away from him. "Why are you here? Will you be staying long?"

A small frown found it's way to his lips. "I'm afraid I can only stay for a couple of days." He looked at her hopefully. "Is Stannis still here or has he moved on already."

She frowned at the sudden shift in mood. "He marched a fortnight ago. Has something terrible happened?"

At first he didn't answer, he just stood there looking thoughtful. To Arya it looked as if he was planning on what to do next. For a moment, she was alarmed that he might leave before they had a real chance to to talk, and there was a look in his eyes, that almost seemed like fear. She thought of what was waiting for them North of the Wall and again she felt herself shiver. She tugged gently on his arm to get his attention. "Jon, what is it? Theon said you went North of the wall to look for the Wildings that escaped Stannis, to offer them a place South of the Wall. Did something happen?"

Jon looked down at his little sister and saw the concern in her eyes. He tried to offer her a small, reassuring smile, but he knew she would see right through it. So instead of giving her a false sense of security, he nodded his head. "Yes, something did happen." He looked around the yard and saw that several people were looking at the two of them. He also saw that Rickon was coming from the practice yard. "But let us speak of it later, when not so many people are around." He lifted a hand to ruffle her hair like he used to do when they were younger. She tried to duck away from him, but he still managed to mess her hair with a chuckle. He was relieved to see her smile again.

It was then that he realized how grateful he was that she was safe. Despite the worries and problems that fell upon his shoulders, it seemed as if a weight had been lifted from them. Seeing Rickon alive and well at Winterfell only added to his relief. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "It is so good to see you again," he said quickly. Then he turned his attention to Rickon who seemed to be making his way slowly toward the both of them. Jon raised his hand in greeting to his youngest brother with a genuine smile that.

Jon's actions seemed to have broke whatever shyness Rickon had been feeling and he halted his slow pace for a second before abruptly breaking into a run When he reached Jon he came up short, unsure of what he should do to greet Jon Snow. Jon took the decision away from him and pulled Rickon into a gruff, short hug. "You've gotten bigger." Jon said before movement from the main entrance of the keep caught his attention. Sansa had slipped through the doors and was about join their family reunion.

The moment he saw Sansa, Jon was struck with a sudden idea. One that didn't strike him as a good one. He knew that there would be risks involved. But when the fate of the realm was in the balance, he supposed it was worth any risk. He hoped the rest of his family would see it that way.

—

That evening, after a small supper, four of Eddard Stark's children retired to what had once been Catelyn Stark's sitting room. They were joined by their three, large dire wolves, who were contentedly lying before the fire. Rickon sat on on the floor next to them, his hand busy scratching behind Shaggydog's ear. Sansa sat quietly in a chair, working on her needle point, while Arya attended lovingly to her own Needle.

Jon sat before the fire, he wasn't doing anything in particular, except enjoying the company of what family the gods had seen fit to let him keep. They laughed and chatted, for a time things almost felt as if they had never changed, that they were still children and that their family was whole. Jon could almost believe that at any moment Robb and Bran would burst through the doors, followed by their father, looking stern and Catelyn eyeing Jon with disapproval. Jon would have welcomed Lady Stark's glare, if it meant that everything else was the same.

Eventually their conversation lulled and the night was growing late, Jon let out a small sigh. "It was only a few years ago, when I wouldn't have been welcome in this room." He said when the silence had stretched on long enough. His eyes wandered the sitting room where Lady Stark had spent so much of her time.

Sansa looked up at him with a frown. "Eventually, I'm sure mother would have…" she trailed off realizing just how hollow those words sounded.

Jon allowed a touch of a smile to his lips, "no Sansa, I don't think she would have ever accepted me. And trust me I was bitter for a long time over my title as bastard." He waved Arya's response off when she opened her mouth to say a few words, in his defense. "Perhaps what she did wasn't fair, but time and distance have made be realize a few things. My very presence hurt her, I was an every day reminder that our father could have loved another woman. I can't imagine that would have been easy on her. She had her faults, just the same as all of us, I suppose. She never asked for forgiveness, but I guess in time I've given it to her anyway." He said thoughtfully.

Sansa set her needle point upon her lap. She offered him a small, sad smile. "I'd like to believe that in time she would have been kinder to you once she realized you were no threat to her children."

Arya nodded her head in agreement, for she too had to believe those words. Again the room lapsed into silence. Only after a few moments did Arya break it, "did our father ever tell you about your mother?" She asked quietly. It was a question that had always hung over them, and as each of the Stark children grew older they always wondered who she might be. Not one of them ever dared to ask either Eddard or Jon. When Arya ventured the question now, both Rickon and Sansa grew very still, holding their breath at what Jon might say.

In response, he only shook his head, for a moment, that sad, brooding look entered his eyes. "He had promised me would, when he left for King's Landing. He said he would tell me when he saw me again."

Arya swallowed the lump in her throat that had formed as they talked about their father. "I'm sorry, I should not have asked." Her voice was a whisper, but Jon did not have to strain to hear the words, he knew what her sentiments were.

"It's okay, it is what it is." He said quickly, trying to put all of them at peace again. "Nor does it truly matter. I know the three of you are alive and well. That is all that matters now."

"And Bran," Rickon piped in, "I know we'll find him again, and when we do, then we'll all be safe and happy again."

Jon nodded his head. While he was not as certain of Bran's status as his siblings seemed to be, he would not give up hope that their other brother was still alive. Thoughts of their safety brought his mind back to the real reason he had come to Winterfell. "That is the most important thing, keeping all of you safe and happy." He gave Rickon a small smile. "It's getting late, perhaps it's time for you to think about going to bed."

Rickon crossed his arms in front of his chest and narrowed his eyes at his brother. "You're sending me to bed so you can talk about something important with Sansa and Arya." He stated bluntly. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid. You're Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and King Stannis was here. I get the feeling you had something to say to him. Now that he's not here, you want to talk about it with them," he nodded in the direction of his sisters. "But Jon, I'm Lord of Winterfell now, and I should know what's going on too."

Arya let out a small snort as she lay Needle aside. "He has a point Jon."

"No," Jon said stubbornly, his face hard, like carved stone. "He's too young to hear what I have to say. I don't wish to frighten him."

"I won't be scared!" Rickon objected.

"You will be," Jon said, "my news scares me."

"You realize because you said that, he'll be giving himself nightmares thinking about all the scary things you might be telling us. He'll imagine worse." Arya said lightly.

"You're not helping." Jon offered her a glare. Then he looked back to Rickon, "I promise I'll tell you what I can, but for now this is a conversation you should not be part of."

Before Rickon could protest further, Sansa cleared her throat and gently said to Jon, "Rickon has to be here Jon. He is young, yes, but he has been through just as much as the rest of us. I know you are trying to protect him. But he needs to be here just as much as Arya and I need to be. We are, all of us, trying figure out our place within Winterfell. Our father did not expect for Rickon to be its Lord, nor did he expect Arya and I to be at his side. He did not prepare us for this. We're figuring this out together, Jon. Arya and I are here to to help Rickon, but ultimately he is the Lord of Winterfell. He should be a part of any important matters that come up. How else is he to learn?"

Jon studied Sansa for a moment, and reluctantly realized that she was right. No matter what was said, Rickon would need to be told at some point. He could not protect his brother from this any more than he could protect his sisters. Grudgingly, he nodded his head in approval.

Arya let out an annoyed huff and then said, "good, now that we have that cleared up, can we get on with whatever it is that has you so wound up?"

"I'm guessing it has something to do with your mission beyond the Wall, the one you were preparing for when I last saw you." Sansa said solemnly.

"Aye," Jon said with care. "It does." He leaned forward in his seat. "I came here with the intention of again trying to convince Stannis Baratheon that he should not head South, that the real threat is North. You remember the stories Old Nan used to tell us, about wights and White Walkers."

"Of course," Arya said hesitantly, "it would not be easy to forget them. Especially when Theon has told me stories of you seeing dead men that came back to life and that one of your brothers managed to kill an Other. We've been doing everything you've suggested, we've burnt our dead."

"They're getting closer aren't they." This was Rickon, and his face had become pale at the thought of things that should only be in stories. He looked every bit as young as he was, but he tried to put on a brave face as he looked wide eyed at his siblings.

Jon nodded his head.

"But this is nothing new. We already know about them. The King went South because he has to secure the Kingdom so he can bring the full might of Westeros to the North when the time is right. He has every intention of finishing this quickly. He believes with the full backing of the North he'll be able to take the Riverlands and he's sent for help from the Vale. It is only a matter of time-" Sansa had started.

"It isn't enough time," Jon said empathically. "When I was at Hardhome," he let out a heavy sigh, before shaking his head slowly, "I saw what they are capable of. It is one thing to know that they have the means to bring the dead back. But I saw it. Those of us that survived the Others attack on the village only barely did so. They attempted to over run the village with thousands of their undead. We saved as many lives as we could the old, the young, even some warriors, but so many died."

Arya swallowed a lump in her throat that she hadn't realized was there. "You survived," it was almost as if she had to reassure herself of this fact. "What happened?"

"I had to face an Other, I managed to kill it." He shrugged his shoulders. "But it was more luck than skill. We know that dragonglass is an effective weapon against them, but I didn't have any when I fought it. But I did have Longclaw."

"Valyrian steel." Whispered Sansa.

"Aye, when the blade made contact it shattered the Other like it was made of glass. Sam thinks that since Valyrian steel was said to be forged with dragons, that it might be more effective than dragonglass." Jon explained cautiously.

"Have you sent out word to the Houses that are known to have Valyrian steel weapons? Surely they wouldn't ignore this threat, they have to help." Arya asked.

Jon let out a small mirthless laugh, "of course I have. Do you honestly think they will believe us, or that they would send men and their most valuable weapons North, even if they did? Of course not, we're too far North and they'd have to travel through a war torn country just to get there. They would have to contend with Stannis's army. They would have to be worried what the Lannister's would think of their going North. Politically it would not be a bad move for them to come to our aide." Jon's voice betrayed the bitterness. "I came here too late. And now that Stannis has moved on I fear I won't be able to persuade him to turn away from his bid for the throne."

"He wouldn't have anyway." Sansa stated. "He's too focused, and I fear we don't have a lot help to offer you. I know you would ask for men, but we cannot spare any. Without Ice, we have no sword…" She trailed off and glanced at Arya as she said that. Her mind instantly went to Brienne's blade, one that had been reforged from their father's sword.

Jon caught the hesitancy in his sister's voice. "What is it?" he asked.

"Well, we do know of one Valyrian steel blade in the North." Arya answered carefully, not sure of how much she should tell him. "Brienne of Tarth carries one and she has sworn it in service to the Starks. She will fight by your side, Jon. She is formidable," she narrowed her eyes at Jon. "Don't think because she's a woman that she can't handle herself."

Jon raised his hand in protest. He was skeptical, but not because she was a woman, he had seen enough women fight to know that some could handle a battle field. "I'm only concerned about why it is the two of you seemed hesitant to tell me about her."

"Because her blade was once a part of our father's sword." Sansa said. "Jaime Lannister gave it to her."

"Oh." That was all Jon said for several moments while he processed what those words meant. This Brienne was obviously a friend to Jaime Lannister, did that mean that she was a friend to the rest of his family? He looked carefully at his two sisters, it seemed that they trusted this woman. He gave it careful consideration, He trusted Arya and Sansa, and he realized that was enough for him to trust Brienne of Tarth. And it seemed poetic that part of their Father's sword was back home again, protecting the Starks once more. Finally, he cleared his throat. "If Brienne is willing to fight, than that is one more sword I've gained since coming here. Where is this woman? Perhaps I should talk with her myself."

"She isn't here." Said Arya relieved to hear his acceptance. "Lord Manderly sent her off to the Dreadfort to deal with the rest of Bolton's people. She has some….issues…with King Stannis. It was thought best that she not be here while he was at Winterfell."

"We can send a raven to have her travel to Castle Black if you'd like." Sansa offered. "You could meet her there."

"Perhaps," Jon answered quietly. "It might be difficult to persuade the men to fight along side a woman. But I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures. The least I can do is talk with her." He paused again, "but that isn't all I want to ask of you. I fear I have a much harder thing to ask of you." He gave his last words some thought and realized they were wrong. He turned his attention to Sansa. "Well, actually more I like have something to ask of you."

A startled look flashed across Sansa's face, she had not been expecting this. She had no idea what she could possibly offer that would help. "Of course I would assist in anyway I could, Jon, I realize the danger that is looming over us."

He put on a look of determination and then reluctantly continued, "it actually has to do with your husband."

"Tyrion." Sansa said with a frown. "I don't understand…"

"Of course you don't," Jon agreed gently. "I doubt you receive any news that doesn't have any baring on events that do not tie directly to Winterfell or the North."

This time it was Arya who spoke. "What could Tyrion possibly offer you that would help maintain the safety of the Wall and the rest of the realm. And where do you expect us to find him, the last we heard of him, was that he was missing after he murdered his father. And King Joffery. It isn't as if we're hiding him here." It was plain that Arya was skeptical of any help the Imp might be.

"I know where he is." Jon said quietly. "Our Maester at Castle Black is a Targaryen. I'm sure you're not completely unaware of the rumors of the Dragon Queen that are coming from across the Narrow Sea, well Maester Aemon has been keeping an eye on her, so to speak, from afar. He's been getting reports from every corner of the Kingdom about her. In one of the latest reports, my friend Sam read that she was collecting allies. It's been said that a dwarf has been spotted at her side and that he seemed to be a disgraced nobleman from Westeros."

Sansa let those words hang in the air for a moment as she let the news sink in. She realized that Jon suspected the rumor spoke of Tyrion Lannister. It would make sense, he had no where else to go. This Targaryen _queen_ was an option if he wanted to strike back at the people who held power in Westeros. And then there was the other thing. "Dragons," she whispered, "she is said to have three dragons."

Jon nodded his head quickly. "Yes, Sam, he's a bit of a reader, and probably one of the smartest men I know. He has a theory, if Valryian Steel, a substance that might be _dragon_ forged, can kill an Other…"

"Then what can a dragon do?" Arya finished for him grimly. She did not like where this line of thinking was going, for several reasons. "You want Sansa to go and beg for help from this _queen_ and you think that her being Tyrion Lannister's wife will help her get an audience with the woman?" She didn't bother to hide her dismay. She shook her head vehemently. "No, this idea of yours is madness, Jon."

"Is it?" He asked, "it is more like desperation."

"I can think of several reasons why this is a bad idea!" Arya exclaimed as she stood up, pointing an accusing finger at Jon. "We have bent the knee to King Stannis. You are asking us to go to and treat with a woman who could be a threat to our King. Jon, that is treason. I don't think it would be a smart move to upset the man who helped return Winterfell back to our family. What would our father say?"

Jon ignored the question and offered Arya his best glare, "I seem to recall that Stannis wasn't here when Winterfell was taken. That it was you and several other Northern Lords that managed to subdue the Boltons. Your King merely allowed Winterfell to stay in your hands. He only did so because he knows that those same Northern Lords would be more apt to follow him if a Stark was in Winterfell and backed his claim." Arya looked about ready to retort but Jon kept going to keep her quiet. He knew that what he was asking might seem dishonorable. "I'm not asking you to go back on your vow to him, I'm only asking that Sansa go and ask for help against an enemy that doesn't care who is sitting upon the Iron Throne. If we cannot hold back the Others and their undead army, then King Stannis won't have a kingdom to rule."

"I don't think the King will see your logic." Ayra bit out.

"But you do." Jon said, "I can see it in your eyes, you know that something has to be done and with Stannis marching South to make war on the Lannisters, the North is vulnerable to an attack from beyond the Wall, from an enemy that hasn't been seen in thousands of years. Something _has_ to be done Arya."

Of course she could see that, but still there was a gnawing pit in her stomach. There was of course guilt for the difficult situation her brother had put her family in. There was also fear that if Sansa did go, she would be placed in serious danger. The winter storms would make crossing the Sea dangerous, not to mention pirates, and who know what the political climate would be when she landed in Essos. "You would put Sansa in danger again, after everything we have all been through, you would ask her to leave us again."

At this Jon looked pained, "I know it is difficult, and I know the danger she would be in. But right now I have very little choice. I-"

It was at this moment that Sansa choose to interrupt. "_She_ is sitting right here." She said gently, with just a hint of bitterness underlying her tone. "I can make my own decisions."

Arya flushed slightly, realizing how rude they had been discussing their sister as if she wasn't there. "Sorry." Jon had managed his apology at the same moment.

Sansa nodded an acceptance to their apology. "It's okay, I just don't want the two of you to keep on bickering, when really, it all comes down to whether or not I would be willing to reunite with my husband. And it would be risky, I know that we would walk a fine line that might be considered a betrayal to Stannis and I know my personal safety would also be in question. But perhaps it is also worth it."

"You cannot be serious." Ayra said incredulously.

"Think on it Arya," Sansa said looking directly at her sister. "When the Others come, and I have no doubt that they will, and if Jon cannot hold the Wall with his brothers, who will be the first victims?" She paused a moment and when Arya didn't respond, she plunged ahead. "Our people, the people we Starks are meant to protect. The North will be the first to fall. The Starks have always been considered friends of the Night's Watch. And they need our help more than ever. We would be doing our duty to help protect the realm, our King will have to realize that."

Arya could tell that her sister was adamant, and that no amount of arguing would change her mind, a part of her even admired her sister's courage. She supposed that Sansa and Jon had made some good points, even if it felt wrong to ask a woman who King Stannis considered an enemy for help. Finally she spoke, "I realize I cannot talk you out of this, and if you insist upon this foolishness, then I suppose I must go with you." Her tone indicated a sullenness at the prospect of leaving Westeros, of leaving a Theon behind without so much as a word, but there was nothing to be done about it.

It wasn't Jon or Sansa who objected to this, it was Rickon. The look of panic on his face betrayed the tone of controlled calm in his voice. "No, you can't go."

For several seconds no one said anything. Arya frowned and was about to explain to Rickon why she had to go, but before she could, Sansa spoke, "he's right Arya, you cannot come with. Rickon is going to need you." She leaned forward, staring intently at her sister. "And if I go alone, then you and Rickon can easily claim you had no idea of what my intentions were. The Starks can keep their honor in tact, and there will be no betrayal of Stannis if I make this a personal mission and not a political one. Jon asked me to go, that doesn't mean I have to represent the Starks."

Arya shook her head, "if the King ever found out about this, it would also make you our enemy."

"We need her help Arya." Sansa persisted. "Let us save the realm from a deeper threat and we'll worry about who rules after."

"I don't like you going alone." Arya said realizing that she could never win this battle.

"I need you here." Rickon looked Arya. "I don't want to be alone again. I know I had Osha and I know she'll watch over me, but it's not the same Arya. I don't know how to run Winterfell by myself."

"But who is going to look after Sansa?" The look she flashed at Rickon told him that she would not leave him. She had realized how vulnerable he was, but she was still scared for her sister. Once her eyes lifted from his, the look in them hardened and she looked at Sansa, then at Jon. "Can you answer me that? You cannot spare any of your brothers and we dare not send any of Winterfell's men, for fear of arousing suspicion."

"I shouldn't take that many people with me, but she is right, I am going to need an escort. It will look strange for a noble woman to travel alone and I would feel safer if I was with someone who could handle a sword." Sansa admitted.

Jon looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, what about this Brienne of Tarth that the two of you told me a about. You mentioned that she is not a supporter of a King Stannis, however she is loyal to house Stark. Would she be willing to-"

"Yes," both Sansa and Arya said at the same time.

"And Pod would no doubt go with. Especially if you mentioned that you would be going to see Tyrion Lannister." Arya said glumly. "I have no doubt the two of them could protect you well enough. But it's still going to be dangerous."

"I know the risks." Sansa said.

"Well, then I suppose you should contact Brienne." Arya leaned back in her chair accepting defeat, someone else she loved would be leaving her once more.

"I'll send a raven as soon as we're done." Sansa nodded. "The less you are involved in this, the better."

"There's also the problem of you leaving Winterfell without arousing suspicion." Jon said. "I'm leaving in a couple days time. I had thought to leave with the Umbers when they left, I need to discuss with them about why I let so many Wildings cross over the Wall. I'm sure it makes them uneasy, I thought it would be a good time to explain the gravity of the situation to them. I don't suppose you could figure out a reason to leave with them, could you?"

Again a thoughtful silence descended on the small group. Sansa was the first to see a solution. "Actually I have a very good reason to go." She said with a small smile. "Roose Bolton's widow will be going with the Umbers as a hostage. I can go as an escort for her. It would at least get me out of Winterfell."

Arya nodded, "you could have Brienne meet you at Last Hearth, we could say that we sent her to escort you back home."

Jon smiled at the quick thinking of his sisters. "And once the Umbers were satisfied that you were leaving for home, you can redirect you destination to East Watch. I'll make sure there's a boat there that will take you to Braavos. From there you should be able to find passage to Meereen."

"Then I suppose everything's all planned." Arya said standing up slowly. Suddenly she felt very tired and frustrated with her family. She understood the reasoning behind this endeavor, even if she did not agree with it. Her instincts were telling her that everything about this plan was a mistake, but what else could they do. It felt like they were grasping at straws to fight an enemy they didn't understand. "I'm going to bed." No one said anything to her as she slipped form the room.

—

The next couple of days proved to be very short, too short for Arya's liking. The arrangements were made, Lord Umber welcomed Sansa to his traveling party with open arms. Their story of her wanting to accompany Walda Bolton to the Last Hearth was easily believed. Sansa had assured Arya that she sent Brienne a raven that did not reveal any of their plans, only that Brienne was supposed to travel to to the Last Hearth in order to accompany Sansa back to Winterfell. They had decided that Sansa would fill Brienne in with their true intentions only after they had left Umber's stronghold.

Soon, the day Jon and Sansa would once again leave the safe confines of Winterfell came, and the four siblings stood quietly preparing to make their farewells. The Umbers made their final preparations in the courtyard keeping a discreet distance from the Starks.

Jon was the first one to speak into the silence. He addressed Rickon, with a hearty clap on the young man's shoulder. "You would have made father proud. You made the right decision bending the knee to Stannis. He was the best option in a sea of bad ones. You have the right people giving you advice. Listen to those around you," he flicked a glance at Arya and with a hint of a smile, he teased, "especially Arya, she occasionally has some smart ideas."

Arya moved to slap his arm in indignation, and he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as it harmlessly glanced off his thick cloak. He raised a hand to ruffled Arya's hair, before he pulled her into a hug. He whispered for her ears only, "you keep Rickon safe." She nodded her head to show that she understood. And louder as he pulled away, he said, "and tell your husband that when he returns he's to keep you safe, or he'll have me to answer to."

Arya attempted to smile. She found it hard to be cheerful, even with Jon's bantering, as she was saying good bye to two more people she loved. She managed a small scoff, "I don't need his protection, I can handle myself." Still, she did appreciate Jon's attempt to show that he was at least okay with her marrying Theon. It was the first time he had spoken of it since he had arrived at Winterfell. At least he hadn't sounded angry with or disappointed in her.

"I know you can." He said this time with a bit of a wider smile.

While Jon and Arya had said their good byes, Sansa was saying hers to Rickon that ended with a peck of a kiss on his forehead. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can." She said gently as she straightened up.

Jon nodded then said to Arya and Rickon. "I'll contact you as soon as I can. I don't know when I'll be able to make a trip South again, but I will keep you both apprised of what is going on at the Wall."

With that said Jon and Rickon moved over to where Jon's horse waited. Arya supposed Rickon wanted as much time with his brother as he could have. Arya stepped closer to Sansa and whispered, "you can still back out of this. No one would think the lesser of you."

Sansa smiled as she started to walk towards her own horse. "I wouldn't be happy with myself." She admitted. "I have yet to do anything of real importance to help anyone. It's my turn to do something worthwhile." She let out a small sigh. "And you know it's the right thing to do."

Arya frowned, she still wasn't entirely convinced that it was. But there were no other options at the moment, so she nodded her head. "Stay safe."

"And you too, Arya. If I don't get back in time, or if I fail, you could be in a much worse predicament then I could ever be in. What Jon has told us is terrifying." With that said she gave her sister a tight hug.

Arya allowed the hug to linger for a few seconds before brushing Sansa off. She forced her tone to be indifferent. "I'm sure you'll succeed and save us all. But on the off chance you don't, I'll manage. I've survived this long."

Sansa smiled and moved to get on her horse. The Umber traveling party and the few men Jon had traveled with must have realized that the four of them had said their good byes and moved to close in around them. The time had come for them to leave. Arya went to Rickon, grabbed his arm, and then pulled him out of the travelers way.

The large group had been just about to start towards Winterfell's main gates when another horse had trotted up to the party. Arya couldn't help but balk at the animal's rider. It was the Lady Melisandre, the crimson hair and matching clothing was unmistakeable. Arya was still within ear shot to hear the exchange that went on between Jon and the woman.

"Are you traveling with us, my Lady?" asked Jon. If Arya hadn't grown up with him and didn't know him as well as she did, she would have missed the look of worry that flashed across his features. He was probably thinking the same thing she was, that the Red Woman had known what the Starks were up to and that she was accompanying them to prevent Sansa from leaving Westeros. That woman had a way of knowing things.

"Yes Lord Commander." Melisandre said, and Arya could see that the woman offered Jon a knowing smile that made none of the Stark siblings comfortable.

Arya gave a quick look to Sansa, who had gone slightly pale at the thought of the woman coming to the Last Hearth with her. But Arya knew that if Sansa changed her plans at this moment, it would look suspicious. She had to keep up the pretense of their story.

Before Jon could reply Melisandre spoke again, "my fate is at the Wall. I serve my King best by being at your side Jon Snow. I know what awaits us beyond the Wall. R'hllor sends me to your aide."

For a second Jon just stared at the woman, not entirely sure how to respond to such vague and mysterious statements. It seemed a double edge sword. If she could truly help, then how could he refuse her without seeming suspicious. Especially when it was known that he had come to Winterfell seeking Stannis's help. He could not refuse it now that it was offered. But how could he take the chance of letting her come and ruin the plans he and Sansa were now setting into motion. Jon cast a quick glance to Arya, who dared not give him any sign of her thoughts should she be noticed, and then to Sansa who also remained blank. He truly was alone in this decision.

"I cannot guarantee you any kind of comforts or safety at the Wall." Jon explained carefully, when he brought his attention back Melisandre. "Nor will you be welcome."

"I shall manage." Melisandre said simply.

Again Jon took a silent moment. He gave an indifferent shrug of his shoulders. Perhaps there was some way he could find out her true intentions as they traveled North. If anything he and Sansa could figure out an alternate plan on the road. "Then I suppose I have no choice but to accept you." He said grimly. With that he commanded his horse to turn towards the gates and trotted up to Lord Umber. The others followed quickly behind him.

As she watched, Arya tried to push away any feelings of fear and abandonment away from her heart.

—

**Author's Notes**

To esthealice17: Thank you very, very much!

To Lord of Carrion: They all have a lot of really bad choices… so they're doing what think is right, even if it might be all wrong. It isn't going to be an easy path for them, especially Rodrik and Yara.

To ATP: Ha, I agree…if only those characters can be smarter in canon! Thank you very much.

To jean d'arc: I was always heartbroken for Theon's mom in the books. It would have been interesting to see her in the show, but I guess she just wasn't a character that was needed. Thank you…heh and look another chapter with more plotting. There will be some actual action in the next one.

To FavFan: Thank you so VERY much. I have more ideas for Theon and Arya, not only a sequel for this story, but I have this great little plot bunny for another story about the two of them that I might use for NaNoWriMo this year.

To MomiWolfie: I'm glad you liked it and that I l ives up to your expectations! I wanted to give his mother a chance to see him, because she wasn't able to in the books.

To WeylandCorp4: I know I promised this last week but…it was almost painful getting the words out. But.. It is here now!


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

The night was especially dark, and for that, Theon was grateful. Several days ago, the ship that Theon's uncle had given him, and the few men that he had supplied, had landed peacefully at Seagard. They had sailed into the harbor under no house banner and posed themselves as a simple merchant ship.

Theon and Olyvar spent the first few hours at Seagard testing the waters, so to speak. They listened to tavern gossip and managed to get a feel for what the locals thought of the Frey men who were _honored_ guests of House Mallister. They knew that Lord Jason Mallister still held the castle, but it was mostly for show, at least until Walder Frey was certain that Lord Mallister was loyal to the Iron Throne. Among the small folk, it seemed no one liked the Frey's interference of Jason Mallister's rule. They still remembered where their loyalties should lie. Jason Mallister was their Lord, and he was a loyal Tully banner man. And Edmure Tully was still alive, and they secretly hoped that Riverrun would somehow return into his hands. But they tolerated the Freys who were staying at Seagard, if only for the sake of peace.

Nothing they had found out was surprising, Stannis's and Rodrik's intelligence on Seagard was correct. There was only a small contingency of Frey men at the castle. Despite Balon Greyjoy's death causing unrest in the Iron Islands, which might bleed into Seagard, Walder Frey was still more concerned about the army that was making it's way South from Winterfell. The Lord of the Crossing had recalled almost all of his men back from Seagard to help defend the Twin, and as more Frey men left the castle and the town, more of Jason Mallister's men, who had escaped the Red Wedding and it's aftermath, came out of hiding. They were not many, but slowly Theon started to gather them into a group of men who would be willing to help his meager Iron Island force to retake Seagard for House Mallister.

At first it was hard convincing the men, until Theon relented and told a few of them his true name which did nothing to endear him to the men, at first. He was a Greyjoy and the Iron Born did not mix well with the men of Seagard. They seemed to open up more when he spoke of his ties by marriage to the Starks and he reminded them that he was loyal to the end to Robb Stark, the king their lord had chosen to follow in the war, and it helped that he admitted to being in Seagard on behalf of Stannis Baratheon, a man who at least had a chance of standing up to the Lannisters and Freys. It seemed these men had a taste for vengeance too, because eventually they agreed to help Theon liberate Seagard.

Which was why after days of planning, the night had finally come to put their plan into action. Theon stood with Olyvar quietly in the shadows of the castle wall. It was hard to see, there were only a few torches burning and clouds blocked out both moon and stars.

"This should work, everything is to our advantage." Olyvar whispered, even in the dim light he could see that Theon wore a grimace of concern. He knew Theon worried about every possible thing that could go wrong tonight. Olyvar, however was certain their plan would work. "We can do this."

Theon was not looking at Olyvar. His attention were on the two gate guards that stood in a circle of torch light. The men wore sigils that showed that one man belonged to house Mallister and the other wore the Frey colors. Theon couldn't be certain that the Mallister man at arms was loyal to the house he served. But he would be certain to be gentler with him than he would be with the Frey man. Both men seemed relaxed, as if they expected nothing to go wrong on this dark, quiet night. It almost seemed as if they were bored. That lightened his mood slightly. Complacent men were always ready to make a mistake.

Theon nodded to the men, and then whispered, "You don't recognize that man dressed in your house's armor."

Olyvar squinted his eyes to get a better look at the man. From the distance and the lighting he could not be certain. He knew it was no one that he called family, the armor was not decent enough for a true born Frey. It seemed he was only a common guardsman. "I can't tell if I know him, but I didn't know many of my father's men personally. I doubt he knows me, even if he has seen me, I doubt he would remember me." He caught Theon's grim look and then gave his friend a knowing grin. "It's easy to hide my identity and still claim myself as a Frey. There are so many of us that I don't think anyone who isn't actually a part of the family can know us all."

Theon said nothing and simply nodded his head. His gaze shifted to a grove of trees not far from the castle's entrance where several of his men should be hiding in the shadows waiting for his signal. He did not see any movement but he had no doubt they would be there. Over the past few days he had come to trust the men his Uncle had sent with him. He didn't think any of them would let him down.

"Alright, then." Theon said raising the pouch of cheap wine they carried with them. "Let's get this over with. Make sure you drink a little so you have the smell of wine on your breath, then spill the rest on your clothes. We have to make this look convincing."

"I remember the plan," Olyvar said with a grin as he took the sack from Theon. He took a generous gulp and then haphazardly spilled the rest over the cloaks he wore. They waited a few moments, letting the liquid seep into the fabric. "I think we're ready. Does my disguise live up to your standards?" Olyvar teased.

Theon felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips, "aye it'll do." Then, he readied himself as Olyvar pitched against him in an imitation of drunken man.

Holding up his_ inebriated_ friend, Theon tried to make his face as innocent as he could when they finally stepped into the torchlight that enveloped the guards. He let out an amused laugh, with just an edge of nervousness, that was not faked. He hoped it would seem to the guards that he was worried about coming back from the village, embarrassed about having to bring back a drunk Frey. "It seems we were celebratin' a bit too much. My friend hear was challenged to a drinking contest and well, as you can see he lost." He gave what he hoped was a conspiratorial grin.

The guards peered at the two of them with clear distaste. The Frey man all but glowered at them. It was obvious he did not relish the job of tending to the gates on this cold night, and he was going to take it out on anyone who made his job more unpleasant. "And just who in the Seven Hells are you two. I don't recall the likes of you being among the men, either Frey or Mallister." He squinted his eyes, and studied their faces carefully.

Olyvar played his role well. He clumsily tried to stand straighter and tried to look, make his voice sound pompous, while still drunk. The proud face he tried to display was marred only by a small smile as if he was trying to keep from laughing. Theon had to admit, Olyvar could play a convincing drunk.

Olyvar added a cough as if he was trying to get his thoughts under control. Finally he peered at the man who wore the Frey colors. "Do you have any idea who I am?" He said it louder than he had to.

"Should I?" The guard shrugged as if it didn't matter much who the two of them were.

"I am Lord Walder Frey's grandson." The lie slid off him easily. It was safer to say he was related to Walder in a more distant way than a son. And while the man had sons to spare, grandsons were even more numerous, but much less important than a direct heir to the Twins. "I arrived only this afternoon. I haven't even reported to Walder Rivers yet. He wasn't expecting me until tomorrow." He managed to slur.

"I don't remember hearing that we were going to get anyone from the Twins anytime soon. There was far more pressing matters coming from the North I heard." The other guard said. He seemed a bit smarter than the Frey man. But he didn't look like he mistrusted their story, at least not yet. With an inevitable fight with Stannis, perhaps Lord Frey might send the dead weight of grandson to where he wouldn't get in the way. At the moment Seagard seemed a good place to send him.

Olyvar pretended offense. "My grandfather thinks me too important to stay at the Twins. He said he needed my help keeping the Mallisters in line." Just the sort of lie a noble idiot would believe.

The Frey man chuckled at that. "Alright m'lord, if you're supposed to be here, I'm sure you've brought along letters that prove you are who you say you are." He glared closely at Olyvar, "although you got the Frey look about you. I have no doubt you're one of Lord Frey's brood, but still, can't be too careful."

"Of course." Olyvar feigned a grin, drunkenly happy to oblige. In reality it proved to be a hiccup in their plan. Small to be sure, they hadn't thought that they would have to prove they were there. Olyvar made a show of slowly coming to stand up straight, wobbling only a little to show that he could at least stand on his own power, even if only for a few moments. He made of show of patting down pockets. "It's here somewhere, just give me a moment."

Theon looked on, his heart thudding, it seemed things were going to get a bit more tricky. While Olyvar fumbled around for the nonexistent papers, the other guard relaxed. It seemed he expected no trouble. He turned his attention to Theon, "and I take it you're with this one?" He asked nodding over to Olyvar.

"Yes, I have the honor of being his squire." He gave a smile that he hoped looked good natured, "Not my first choice, but when you're from a disgraced house you don't have much of one. Besides, he's a decent friend and he keeps the ale flowing."

"Fair enough," the guard agreed. "Lord Frey didn't happen to send any more men with you did he? Living in Seagard has given me a healthy respect for what those Iron Islanders can do. They may seem like they won't bother us, but that's like to change. It would be nice to have a few extra men about."

Theon offered a frown that wasn't the least bit faked. Seagard and the Iron Islands had no love lost between them. But the guard worrying about what the Iron Born might do, showed that some people at least thought that they were still a threat.

"I'm afraid not," Theon said with a shrug. "Lord Frey sent a small guard to keep him safe. But that is it. He's a bit concerned about Stannis. News before we left was that he had marched form Winterfell. He'll be breathing down the Neck soon and Lord Frey is concerned about what he plans to do, especially since the Crown is giving no help." Which was all true enough from the last reports they heard. Theon hoped nothing had changed dramatically.

"Aye, true." The guard agreed, "those Northmen coming with Stannis might be a bit of a problem, I do not envy what he may have to face-"

"I swear I have it, pray just give me a moment more!" Olyvar cried out indignantly. "Don't you dare put your hands on me," he accused the Frey guard, as took a step back just as the guard was coming forward to grab Olyvar roughly. "Do you have any idea who I am!"

"I don't care, m'lord." The Frey man said gruffly. "But you're taking up my time and I'm sick of your drunk arse, this has gone on long enough. If you can't find it maybe I can."

This time the Frey man made a grab for Olyvar's arm, but before he could, Olyvar let out an exasperated sigh and lost all signs of his inebriation. In a flash he grabbed the Frey guard's arm. In his other hand he held a small dirk that he had hidden up his sleeve. He pulled the man closer to him and shoved the blade into the man's throat, effectively cutting off his ability to yell for help.

It all happened so fast that, the other guard stared, stunned and frozen, at the scene before him. It had proven to be a bitter mistake for the guard, because from the moment Theon heard Olvyar's exasperated sigh he had slipped his sword from his sheath and aimed the point at the guard's heart. "I wouldn't try to call for help, if I were you." Theon said quietly to the guard. He looked pointedly at the colors the man wore. "You are clearly not a Frey man, and I hope that you are indeed loyal to the Mallisters. You seem decent, I would hate to have to end your life prematurely."

The guard narrowed his eyes, he cast one glance at the Frey man who was busy dying, then let out a resigned sigh and looked to Theon, he tilted his head in a shallow nod to show that he would behave.

Theon gave him a small smile. "Good, then perhaps your life will be spared this night. We can't have you wandering the castle, I'm afraid, and we definitely can't have you yelling out and creating all kinds of chaos. Bringing you with us is out of the questions, so unfortunately I'm going to have to tie you up and gag you. I am sorry about that." Theon sounded as if he was anything but that.

The Mallister guard slumped slightly, it wouldn't be comfortable, but at least he would live. While Theon took care of the guard, Olyvar moved to take care of the other one that was now, thankfully, dead. He grabbed him under the arms, and started to drag the body towards the small gate house where Theon had taken the other guard. Once the body was stowed away and while Theon was making sure the Mallister guard was as comfortable as possible, Olyvar went out to perform the next task that needed to be done.

Olyvar put out one of the torches that was lighting the castle gate so that only one was lit. And then after a few moments, let the other one go out. If there was anyone on the castle walls who noticed, they wouldn't be completely alarmed, especially on a windy evening like this. But they could only risk the torches being out for a few moments before it might alert anyone to a problem. A few minutes was enough for the men who were waiting out in the darkness to make their way to the gates and into the castle walls. Once the men filed through the gates as quietly as they could, Olyvar let the torches again. They had earned themselves a little time before the it was time for the guard to change. By the time that happened, hopefully Seagard would be liberated with as little bloodshed as possible. So far, so good, they had only killed one person. But then, this was the easiest part of their plan.

Theon slipped silently next to the the man who was in charge of the small group of men that joined him and Olyvar. They left two men out side in order to take the place of the missing guardsmen, if anyone happened to look their way, they would find the castle gates manned. For the most part they wanted to keep the party that was actually within Seagard small. They hoped that Mallister, and whatever loyal men he had with in the keep, would be more than enough to take on the small contingent of Frey men.

"I'm guessing Lord Mallister would be within his own chambers at this time of night." Theon said to a man who had once been on Mallister's guard..

The man nodded his head, Theon could barely see the gesture in the dim light. "That would be my guess." He said grimly. He was the man who had approached Theon and Olyar when they were looking for information earlier that week. It turned out he had been the ringleader of the opposition against the Freys in the surrounding area. His nerves were rattled, this was the first time they had dared to make such an overt move. His eyes darted around. "We should hurry, it's not safe all of us out here at once. Come, I'll lead you to where they are. Be wary, though, I'm sure he will be under guard."

Olyvar found his way to the two of them and he had caught the last little bit of what the man had said. "We're ready to move?"

"Aye," Theon whispered. This was the part of the plan he didn't like, where the group had to split up and the man he trusted most, Olyvar, would be going in the opposite direction.

Olyvar offered him a ghost of a smile, "well, don't get yourself killed. Arya would never forgive me if something happened to you." He clapped Theon on the shoulder.

"You have the more dangerous task." Theon said stonily.

"Aye, it's not a family reunion I'm looking forward to, tis true. But it makes more sense for me to confront Black Walder, besides if I know anything about my bastard brother, he'll be much too busy bedding some wench and drinking far more than he should. He probably thinks this is a nice comfortable place our father has sent him to. I mean to show him differently. I've never liked him."

Theon tried to let out a snort of a chuckle. "Just make sure you don't kill him, he might come in handy when we march our way to the Twins in a few days."

Olyvar snorted. "I'll restrain myself. Don't worry. Just be careful." With that Olyvar turned to leave. He raised his hand to summon the men who were to go with him. Three of Theon's own Iron Born went with him along with one man loyal to Mallister. The Mallister man was in the lead as he knew the most likely spots that Black Walder would be during his stay at Seagard. Theon hoped that five men would be enough to take the man.

"Let us get this over with." Theon said harshly to his own guide. The man said nothing to him and silently turned, and led them along the walls of the inner court yard towards a servants entrance of the castle.

It seemed to take forever as they carefully made their way through the keep. They had to stick to the shadows and on two occasions had to duck into a darkened room to avoid a wayward servant and a castle guard. Eventually they made it up several staircases , and before they stepped into a hall the man stopped and gestured that the others should halt. "This will be the hall that leads to his personal apartments. Stay put for a moment." Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and disappeared around the corner.

Little light came from around that corner, there was the weak, sputtering of torches, but it was obvious that there were not many lit. That meant there were plenty of shadows in which to hid. For several minutes, everything remained quiet, that alone put Theon on edge. He had no idea what the man was doing. What if he had decided to betray Theon? He was just about to curse his stupidity when he heard a muffled yell and the sounds of a scuffle coming from around the corner.

"Seven hells," Theon cursed under his breath and then motioned for the men with him to follow his lead. Without waiting to see if he was being obeyed; he darted around the corner, just in time to see his ally slide his sword into the heart of one of the guards that had stood by Mallister's door. The other guard lay at the man's feet. A red line carved into his throat. Both of the men had Frey colors on, Theon gave a curious glance to the man who had dealt out the violence.

The man simply shrugged his shoulders. "It had to be done, I saw a chance I took it."

Theon wanted to berate the man. He shouldn't have taken the guards alone, what if they had been able to call for help. Their plan was dependent on stealth. Instead he chose to be diplomatic, he wondered if that meant he was growing up. He didn't dwell on that fact, instead he just shrugged his shoulders, the same as the man had don, and moved to take hold of the latch on the door. "We have more work to do."

Theon didn't bother to knock. He moved the latch and opened the door. What greeted him was the sight of an older nobleman not yet dressed for bed. It was obvious that he had heard the commotion outside, as he had a sword in his hand and held at the ready. Good, at least that meant that the Freys, while not trusting him completely, allowed him to carry his personal weapons. They wouldn't have to worry about arming the man. It was obvious they had interrupted a quiet hour for him, by the fireplace there was a comfortable looking chair, on the floor was a book that he must have dropped in his hurry to arm himself. A glass of wine had been over turned and a nearly empty decanter stood next to it.

Theon offered the man a formal bow. "Lord Mallister."

Jason Mallister eyed his rescuer carefully. His brow furrowed, "I remember you. You are Theon Greyjoy. I would have thought you to slink back to your islands after what happened at the wedding. Have the Iron Born decided to make a move agains the Mainland then? Have they finally chosen a King and now want to wreck havoc on us." He let out a sigh that sounded more annoyed than anything else.

It was that moment that Theon's guide stepped into the room, Mallister's quick gaze was upon him and his expression melted into confusion, he recognized the man. "Is this a rescue then?" He looked puzzled as his eyes drifted from the man to Theon, to the man and then to Theon again.

The man merely smiled, he left the talking to Theon. For which Theon was grateful, it meat that he still had some control of the situation. "I know it must look odd. Allow me to try to explain. I am Theon of House Greyjoy. I have not come here on behalf of the Iron Islands. I come here seeking your aide."

Mallister's mind was quick and it wasn't difficult to understand what was happening. "So you have stayed loyal to the Starks to the bitter end. I take it the rumors are true then. You've married the youngest Stark girl and Stannis Baratheon has allied himself with the North. You are here on his behalf?"

"That sums it up my lord." Theon said with a helpless shrug.

"You take a risk coming here." Jason Mallister said shrewdly. "Should Black Walder find out you are here, he'll not be merciful in setting his men against you. Not only that he'll not be merciful with my son. He is constantly being watched, he always within easy reach of River's most cruel men. They are always there ready to slit his throat. He is my heir. I have done what I could to protect him. I'm not sure what I can offer you except to beg you to leave now before something worse happens." He said this with a bit of regret. It was obvious he was not happy with his situation, but he was worried about his heir.

"I understand, my Lord. But please believe me, we already have men attending to Walder Rivers. Once he is subdued, we will have all the power." Theon said.

"We have brought men loyal to our cause. Surely, there must be other people who are loyal to you in the castle." The other man had said. "Let us take back Seagard, my lord."

Lord Mallister turned to the fireplace, and for a few seconds looked thoughtful. It was plain to see that he did not like to be under the Freys watchful eye. Theon saw that there was a private war going on behind Mallister's weary eyes. He was still concerned about his son. He was probably also worried about what would happen to the common folk that he was sworn to protect. This couldn't be an easy decision. After a few moments of quiet contemplation the Lord of Seagard straightened up and turned back to the men who had come there to rescue him. "I don't suppose I have much of a choice." He said.

Now that Theon saw it, he realized that they had not given him a choice in the matter. Their plans would go ahead without his consent. Olyvar was on the verge of capturing Walder Rivers. This night Seagard would be rid of Frey rule weather Mallister agreed to it or not. It didn't take long for Theon's mind to jump to the next conclusion. If Mallister was really worried about Lannister retaliation, he could simply allow this to happen and then turn over Theon and his men once Jason gained control of the situation. Theon realized he had been depending on the Mallister's honor. He frowned slightly, Jason Mallister might not choose to help King Stannis at all. He should have thought of this situation before they put the plan into motion.

Carefully he looked at Mallistr, after everything he had been through, he did not know if he could trust another noble man. They all couldn't be as helpful as Wyman Manderly and Lord Royce Theon's tone was low when he spoke, keeping his words measured. "No, you do not. Seagard will be liberated this night, it would be much easier with your help."

Theon's trepidation must have shown, because Mallister shook his head. "I have no love for the Freys,nor the Lannisters. You forget that the king I swore aliegence to died at that wedding. My rightful liege lord wastes away at Casterly Rock and I was forced to submit to Lord Frey. I have no love for him, nor the boy that sits upon the Iron Throne. I would have taken my castle back had I any other options, or any other allies. I had none. I was, and still am surrounded by enemies. And now a young lord comes to offer me everything I need to act against my enemies. You'll have to excuse any disbelief I might have."

"I cannot bring Robb Stark back to life. I would give anything for that. But I can offer you another King, perhaps not one as suitable as Robb was, but he is better than any Lannister. My King would also not leave Edumure Tully in the jaws of the lions. Already there are plans underway to liberate him." Theon said.

A mirthless smile spread across Mallister's face. "I'm afraid that job won't be as easy as this one is seeming to be."

Theon nodded grimly, so far things have been especially easy for them. They had heard no commotion or alarms being raised, but time was still not on their side. "That may be, but the person in charge of rescuing Edmure Tully is extremely resourceful, you might be surprised. So please, let us help you regain Seagard's freedom. You will have King Stannis and the might of the North behind you. But.."

"I know the but, all this does not come for free. King Stannis wants my support in return." Jason said.

"He needs you to rally as many men as you can and march on the Twins." Theon said hastily. "He needs someone to siege the Twins on this side of the Trident."

Jason was silent a moment and then with resigned sigh, he nodded his head. "Very well, I accept. I do not know how much I can offer. The Riverland's lords are scattered and men will be hesitant to fight. But I will do what I can."

Theon rushed to respond. "Good, come, I'm sure my men have already made their way to where Black Walder is. Let us see if he will agree to make his men surrender peacefully."

"Hold for just a moment. First I must see if my son is alright. Allow me to collect him. Once we've made sure he's out from under the watchful eyes of his guards, I can send him to gather my loyal men still in my device. They can help to subdue the Frey men should we find Black Walder unwilling to cooperate." Almost as an after thought, "I do hope your man who's in charge of capturing him knows that he is more useful to us alive, than dead."

"Do not worry my Lord, I gave him strict instructions not to harm him. But we must be quick if we're to collect your son." It had been a reasonable request by Mallister and even though it would cost them time, Theon was willing help Mallister ease his fears about his son.

Patrik Mallister's apartments were not far from his father's. And Theon has given up on stealth, speed was of more use now. Every minute they didn't have Walder Rivers in their grasp or gather more men to their cause would increase the chances of Theon and his men being discovered by the wrong people. On a positive note, when they reached Patriks rooms, the guards were not prepared for what they saw.

Jason Mallister had taken the lead of the group, so at first the guards weren't concerned when they saw him. It wasn't unusual for the man to visit his son. However, they were not prepared to see so many armed men with him. Men who were not part of Mallister's usual guard. The situation son became clear to them. They were outnumbered and it was too late to to escape or to raise the alarm without getting themselves killed. One guard just looked at the other and the one who seemed to be in charge simply said, "we yield."

The Mallister man who had led Theon through the castle let out a snort of laughter and might have muttered the word 'cravens' under his breath. But motioned for two of the other men with them to grab the guards while Jason opened his son's door. The men roughly shoved the guards into the room. Theon stayed back while the others took care of the Frey men and Jason talked to Patrik. He supposed that father and son would need a moment to discus what was happening. It was probably only a few minutes, but it felt like hours had passed before they emerged from the room

Patrik gave a quick glance to Theon with a raised eyebrow. He too must have been remembering the long animosity between the Greyjoy's and the Mallisters . Theon gave an indifferent shrug of his shoulders. They could work out any lingering hostilities later, right now they needed to hurry.

Jason must have felt the same way, because as soon as he left the room, he nodded to Patrik that he should be on his way. Theon watched Patrik and two of the men that had been part of Theon's original party followed him. "He's going to round up those men who are loyal to us." Jason said by way of explanation. For a brief moment, Theon was annoyed that his command was being overtaken by Jason Mallister. That feeling only lasted a moment, perhaps it was another sign of growing up. He realized that Jason was older and far more experienced then himself; and he was fighting for his home. It was Lord Mallister who had a personal stake in this. At that moment, Theon realized he was happy to give up the reigns. Hells, Jason would probably lead the march on the Twins and that was fine with him. He did what was asked of him and once the Twins were secured he could go back to Winterfell. So instead of complaining he simply looked to Mallister for guidance.

"You said your men went looking for Black Walder?" Jason asked, but waited for no answer. "I know exactly where he is. Come." With that he led them to a lonely wing of the castle; it was quiet and had an unused look to it. At the far end there were some torches glowing and a couple of men stood at an open door. It did not take long to recognize them as being men who were under Olyvar's command.

One of these men looked from Theon to Mallister than back to Theon again. "It was successful I take it."

"Very." Theon said mildly. "And how did you fair?"

"The hardest thing was finding the bastard." The man said. "We stumbled across a another Frey and he was able to show us where his half brother was." he shrugged. "He showed us where Walder likes to to spend his time. I think we scared the poor servant girl he was with." He nodded his head to the room. "Olyvar's in there with both the true Frey and the bastard one and the girl too. I can tell you the bastard was none to happy with Olyvar though." He said with a chuckle.

Theon could only imagine. And he was curious to see who this other Frey was. It seemed they had another one of Lord Walder's sons, which could only help them when they reached the Twins. "Come, Lord Mallister, shall we see what Olyvar Frey has managed to catch us."

It was the first time that Olvyar's true identity had come up, and it seemed to be a bit surprising to Malister. He thought for a moment on the name and then a spark of recognition came into his eyes. "Olyvar Frey, he was King Robb's squire was he not? I seem to recall that the boy idolized Robb Stark. I see his loyalty to his King extended to the rest of the family."

Theon just gave him a smile, then without a word stepped into the room. The first thing his eyes took in was Olyvar leaning comfortably on the wall just inside the room. He lounged back with his arms crossed over his shoulders, a deliberate stance of nonchalance. However, his gaze was steadily on his bastard half brother. He must have sensed Theon's presence. "I see you managed to find Lord Mallister whole." He said this without taking his eyes off Walder. Instead he nodded to the man and Theon's eyes followed the motion. "He wasn't nearly as difficult to overcome as we thought he would be."

Across the room the large, ugly bastard of Walder Frey sat tied up. His blood shot eyes were staring murderously at Olyvar and he nearly spit when he saw Theon Greyjoy standing in the doorway. His hair was greasy and unkempt. It was obvious that Olyvar must have surpised him in the act of bedding the unfortunate serving girl, as the only thing he wore was a dirty pair of trousers. He looked particularly uncomfortable.

"I even found a spare brother of mine." Olvyar eyes still had not left Walder Rivers, even tied up he did not trust him. So he motioned to the bed and when Theon looked he saw another Frey. This one seemed a bit more resigned to his fate. Olyvar hadn't even thought it necessary to tie him up. The boy was sullenly looking at his boots, Theon recognized him instantly.

Theon let out a harsh laugh. He heard Olyvar chuckle with him. For the Frey on the bed was Elmar Frey, the one-time betrothed of Arya. The irony was not lost on Theon. The boy was too insignificant to have be kept at the Twins in times of trouble, and too much of a craven to help when his half brother was threatened. If things had turned out differently and Arya had been forced to marry this pathetic boy, well she would have eaten the poor boy alive.

Once Theon got control of his mirth and coughed a little to clear his throat, he glanced at the crying girl, who was also sitting on the bed, and then looked to Walder Rivers. "The way I see it, you do not have anything to bargain with. We have men already on the way to subdue your guardsmen. Your time at Seagard is over." It seemed as if the Frey bastard wanted to say something but Theon held up his hand to warn him to keep his mouth shut. "I am sorry I have not given you leave to speak." He gave a hard glare to the man, ignoring his rage filled expression. "I have Lord Mallister waiting just outside this door. I am going to call him in and you're going to surrender to him. Do this and perhaps we won't be so rough with you when we escort you back to the Twins."

With those words Elmar Frey looked hopefully at Theon. "You mean we get to go home, you aren't going to kill us or put us in the dungeons?"

"Shut up you little shit." Black Walder finally spit out to his little brother. "As for you, you Squid, I know exactly who you are. We should have killed you back at that Wedding with your fucking King. Make no mistake, I may be bound now, but I will kill you, and my traitor brother." His hate filled gaze slid over to Olyvar, and then back to Theon. He then spit on the ground, "I spit on your damned surrender. I don't care how bad you think you can hurt me."

Theon let out a small sigh. It was what he expected, and Olyvar too, for he snorted and shrugged his shoulders at his brother. "You have nothing to bargain with."

"Once you leave this room, you will send out an order to your men to lay down their weapons and surrender peacefully to us." Theon added, unwilling to let Walder continue on his rant. "Do not be a fool and think that these are the only men we have. Even now we have sent men to subdue anyone who might try to stop us. Remember, you have a token contingent here, most of the important people already went back to aide your father in his problems. At best you and Elmar are bargaining chips. You had better hope my King doesn't take the Twins before we arrive, otherwise you are nothing to us. And if you don't behave, well…I think you can understand just what would happen to you." Theon added a bit of grin when he finished the last sentence.

Walder Rivers said nothing, he just glowered at Theon, but the hate was evident in his gaze. But for all that, the man had a certain cunning to him and he wasn't stupid. He knew when he was beat and when all his options were gone. Theon took his silence as consent. Theon moved further into the room. To the poor serving girl he said, "you can take your leave. Please send Lord Mallister in. You can expect no harm from us." And with that dismissal she darted out of the room; a few seconds later Jason entered the room.

He he looked to Black Walder and seemed satisfied to see him in his current state. Finally Jason spoke. "Is it done then? Do you you surrender and will you have your men stand down?"

There were a few tense, silent seconds until finally Black Walder spoke. His voice was low. "Aye, the castle is yours Lord Mallister. You never lost it. The Iron Throne let you keep your lands, or have you forgotten."

"He only had it because he was under your careful watch." Olyvar said flippantly.

"Aye, to make sure he behaved." Walder glared angrily at Lord Mallister. "They never trusted you and with good reason it seems. Don't think they won't retaliate and they won't be merciful." He offered them all a sneer in turn. "Don't think I'll be merciful when any of you face me again."

"Yes well, I suppose you have to break free first." Jason Mallister said. "Come, we have to make sure your men are properly secured. If it makes a difference to you, I will make sure they are treated well. Do not give me a reason to break that promise."

It took a few moments for Walder to make himself presentable. Theon thought it was magnanimous of Lord Mallister to allow Walder to get fully dressed, even if it was under the watchful eye of two armed guards. But in the end it turned out that they didn't even need Walder Rivers to tell his men to stand down. Just as they were preparing to march their prisoners out of the room an loyal Mallister man came running up to them.

"My lord," the guard said, "your son sent me to tell you that all the Frey guards have been accounted for. They are being kept under guard in the barracks and Lord Patrik is awaiting your orders on what to do with them. There wasn't much of a fight. We were forced to kill one and and injure another. Two of our men have sustained minor injureis, but that was mostly their mistake, my Lord. Too much drink before the fight, I would say." The guard shrugged.

"Very well," Lord Mallistar said. "Go back to Patrik and tell him I'll be there shortly. I have to take care of our _guests._" With that he looked at Walder, a grim smile had come to Jason's lips. "There isn't much to be said about Frey men is there." Mallister ignored the fire in Walder's eyes and said to the two guards. "Take him down to the dungeons. Let us see how he likes it there for a few days. Feed him enough that he can retain his strength. He will have need of his health for the trek to the Twins. I have not doubt it will be unpleasant for him."

As the guards were leaving with Walder, Olyvar pointed to Elmar. "And what should we do with him?"

Lord Mallister gave the Frey boy a cursory glance. "He's a true born Frey, we shall treat him with every respect that a prisoner of his stature would expect." With that he called to one of the other guards. He looked to Elmor then. "I don't suppose we'll get much trouble out of you?"

"No my Lord. I just want to go home." Elmor said miserably.

"That is what I thought." Then he said to the guard. "Take him to the rooms he was already quartered in. But make sure he's comfortable and post guards on his door. He is not to leave those rooms until we leave for the Twins."

"Yes, My lord." Instantly the guard moved to follow orders.

And just like that Seagard was liberated. Theon, albeit with a large amount of help from Olyvar and Lord Mallister, had managed to achieve success in at least one task King Stannis had given him.

—

It did not take long for Theon and the Mallisters to prepare for their journey to the Twins. The fact was, everyone was ready to bring the Frey problem to a speedy resolution. Theon was certain that by the time they reached the Twins, Stannis would already be on his side of the Trident, harrying the Freys. Oddly enough, the Lannisters were leaving the Lord of the Crossing to his own devices. There were no new rumors of an army marching North from Kings Landing nor any other parts of the Kingdom. They still needed to make haste toward the Twins, Lord Frey still had this side of the Trident at his disposal. He could still send riders out to beg for help, receive provisions for a long siege, or even flee the Twins altogether.

Theon had about fifty Iron Born raiders left under his command from his Uncle, after sent Rodrik's boat back to the islands with enough men to sail her home. He had a feeling that his Uncle would have more need of it than him. He would be traveling on foot for the time being. Jason Mallister used several days to gather what men he could. He sent runners out to nearby lords who were still seething over the Red Wedding enough to change allegiances once more. If they dared, they were to meet up with Mallester's party on the way to the Twins.

When they left Seagard, they were not a large army by any means. Jason Mallistar had not been wrong when he said that he would not have many men to help them on this endeavor, but they were still a sturdy group of men. They would be enough, or at least Theon hoped so. Walder Frey would not be expecting an enemy coming from the South. He thought the Riverlands were firmly within his grasp. If he was a smart man he would keep most of his fighting force on the Northern side of the Trident. Theon did not think the battle for Twins would be an especially difficult one, however, it might be a long siege if Walder willed it. Theon hoped having two of the man's sons would make him see just how hopeless the situation was. They needed to be decisive victory before the Iron Throne woke up to the fact that if they didn't help Walder Frey they would lose the Riverlands again.

Despite the size of the fighting force, they marched out of Seagard almost cheerfully ten days later. Patrik Mallister stayed behind, vowing to his father to keep the castle with a small amount of men. If they needed to they could hold a siege until their problems at the Twins were resolved. After a few days, the cold and the lack of men seemed to lessen their enthusiasm, but their spirits were raised when every so often a small band of men would join them. It seemed that Jason Mallister was able to recruit more of the lesser lords then he would have thought, by the time they reached the Twins they had doubled in size. It still wasn't the most ideal number, but it would suffice. And even from across the Trident they could see the line of tents that had been erected around the Twins. Stannis had been true to his word he was there.

—

When they reached the Twins, Theon and Olyvar left Lord Mallister to set up the siege camp. They needed to find a way across the Trident in order to report to their King. It took them a few hours to find a boat that could take them across the icy water of the river out of sight of the Twins. Then, they had to trudge the rest of the way on foot. Finally they stumbled into the camp, and once it was known who they were, they were taken straight to Stannis

After they showed proper respect to the King, Stannis bid them to sit down. There were no offers of food or drink, he simply got down to business. "I have received your report about what happened on the Iron Islands. Disappointing that you were not able to take the Islands out right, but I understand your decision to leave it alone for now. It is better that we deal with the main land at present."

Theon nodded briskly. "I apologize for not going to the King's moot myself, but from the intelligence I received my life might have been forfeit. However, my Uncle Rodrik may prove to be a useful ally. He can at least do a bit of spying for us and possibly work from within the Iron Islands to achieve our ultimate goal."

"And what of your sister? Is she here or has she too stayed on the Islands to work there?"

It was a fair question the King asked. "No, your Grace. You said you wanted us to see if we had any means to rescue Edmure Tully. She has undertaken that job, she left the Islands not much later than I did."

Stannis frowned at this. It was not out of anger, it only seemed an expression of contemplation. Theon wondered if it was the fact that a woman was about to undertake a particularly important mission. He was sure that if the King had any misgivings about that, his sister would be sure to prove to him wrong. After a time, it seemed as if the King had accepted this news and was ready to move on.

"And I take it, the two of you were successful at Seagard?"

This time it was Olyvar who took up the report. "Very successful, your Grace. We took the castle with very little bloodshed and none of it was sustained by the men we had in our command."

"Who did you have helping you?"

Theon spoke, "Some Iron Born men that my uncle provided and a few men loyal to the true leaders of the Riverlands." Theon answered quickly. "Most of them are now awaiting you on the other side of the river. Lord Patrik stayed at Seagard to protect the castle and the town, but Lord Mallister himself is here now. In fact he's the one that led us here. He's agreed to your terms, and I thought since he was more of a war veteran than myself, that he should lead the men. Besides those Riverland men would be more apt to follow him than a lordling from the Iron Islands."

Stannis nodded his head as if he agreed. "It's for the best. I'm sure I'll have a word with Jason Mallistar when all this is over. Did you capture Walder Rivers unharmed. He might be a bastard, but perhaps his father is fond of him, he may prove useful."

Olyvar smiled a little at this, he seemed to have an uncharacteristic glee when it came to the the fate of certain members of his family. "Oh, we have him my lord. He might be a bit bruised, we were not _too_ careful with him. But other than that he's quite healthy. We even brought you another gift."

Stannis stared blandly at him, clearly he was in no mood for friendly banter. He simply said "oh?"

Olyvar seemed to understand that the King only wanted to hear what was important. "Um, yes, your Grace. My father sent one of his true born sons on to Seagard. We managed to capture Elmar Frey too."

One could only guess if this news brought any pleasure to the King, as his face remained stern. "That one might prove to be more useful than a bastard born son. Very well, I will draw up new terms for Walder Frey's surrender and have them delivered to him at first light. I'll have a tent set up for the two of you, if you'd like, and make sure to have some food sent. I'm sure you are exhausted."

"Actually, your Grace, I was hoping you would allow us to go back to the other camp. The men my Uncle put me in charge of are over there. And if it was all the same to you I would like to finish what we started with Lord Mallister." Theon asked quietly.

"Very well. I will send some men with you to act as runners between our two camps." Stannis stood up and the two men immediately followed suit. "Should Walder see the hopelessness of this situation this siege will not take long and we can move forward to Riverrun."

"Your Grace…" Theon started.

Stannis interrupted him before he could get another word out. "Yes, I know, except for you two. I have not forgotten that you wish to return to Winterfell as soon as possible. And you will."

"My men will want to go with me, I do not think they would feel comfortable taking orders from someone who was not from the Islands." Theon held his breath, he knew it was a risk asking him, but he also knew that what he said was the truth. Besides having a few more fighting men at Winterfell might make sense to Stannis. Theon knew it made him feel a little safer with a few more swords North of the Neck. He remembered what Jon Snow had told him about what was happening North of the Wall.

Stannis gave this some thought. Finally, with reluctance, he nodded his head in understanding. "I do not suppose fifty men would tip the balance in any direction. Very well, when this is done I'll outfit you and your party to travel North. I suppose it would be safer to send you there with an escort."

Theon gave him a thoughtful look. "Thank you, my King." Oyvar added his thanks with a deep bow of respect and then Stannis dismissed them.

—

It was early the next morning when a messenger from Stannis's camp came. He did not come to talk to Theon, which he he didn't mind at all. In fact he was a bit relieved. It showed that Stannis had accepted Mallister as the commander of this side of the Trident. He was officially free of command. He had no big role in what was to come, he simply had to wait for it to be over. If it came to fighting, he would fight, but he was no longer in charge. That wasn't to say he didn't have any duties in events to come, but they would be a much smaller role.

In fact, it wasn't long after the messenger came that he was summoned to Lord Mallister's command tent. Theon was not surprised when he saw Olyvar arrive at the tent at the same time he did.

As soon as they entered the tent, Mallister spoke. "I was just informed that the King has sent the terms on which he would accept Lord Walder Frey's surrender. I am under no illusions that this will come to a quick resolution. Lord Frey is prickly. But King Stannis seems to think that reminding the Lord of the Crossing that he has sons who have been captured by us might speed his decision along."

"It seems a reasonable thought." Theon said noncommitidly.

"I agree." Mallister said with a nod. "We'll have to move where we are keeping our prisoners. The rank and file men are fine where they are, but we'll have to put a tent at the very front of our siege line. Near the gates, where the two of them can be seen from the castle walls. We'll drive a stake into the ground and during the day we'll chain them there, under guard of course and then we'll let them inside at night to sleep." He looked to Olyvar, "which brings me to another idea our King wants us to try. One of the guards during the day will have to be you Olyvar. You are Lord Frey's son, and King Stannis seems to think it might hit a blow to Lord Frey if he saw you there, armed and guarding your siblings under your own free will."

Olyvar's eyes darkened slightly. "He to rub my betrayal in my father's face. I suppose this moment was going to come sooner or later." He frowned, "but I understand. It will not make a difference though. I have no doubt that he has already considered me a lost cause. But it might seem insulting if I made it even more obvious where my loyalties lie. He might do something stupid that could benefit us."

"It certainly wouldn't hurt." Mallister said, but he didn't seem convinced that it would help either, and he thought the request might make Olyvar a bit uncomfortable. He looked to Theon then, "which is why I thought to call you in here as well. I get the feeling you two are fairly good friends. I wondered if you would like to stand guard with him during the day. The task will be easy, but I doubt it will be pleasant. Black Walder is resentful that someone has brought him to justice."

Theon glanced at his friend, he seemed a bit relieved that Mallistar suggested that Theon be on guard duty for moral support. Theon knew exactly what it felt like to go against your family. But he thought that Olyvar might have a tougher time of it. Theon's father was dead, he never had to face the man head on after his betrayal. Walder Frey was still alive. Olyvar would have to confront him soon, and Theon would be there for him.

"Of course my Lord."

Soon the two of them found themselves escorting Elmar Frey and Walder Rivers to their new home at the front of an army facing their home. The weather was chilly, and the four of them were miserable with their lot at the moment. The captives even more so ,when they realized that they were there as a form of bait for their father. Walder spit at Olvyar's feet when he realized what his role in this situation was.

"You are no brother of mine." Black Walder sneered.

Olvyar managed to keep on a brave face and shrugged his shoulders. "You cannot deny blood, and the old man's runs through both of our veins." He had forced a lightness to his tone.

Elmar remained quiet, and Black Rivers only put up a small fight, if only to prove that he was capable of resisting as they chained them to the stake in the ground. They were kept on a short leash, but the chain allowed them a small range of movement. When Theon and Olyvar backed away, closer to the small fire that was allowed them, Olyvar kept his hand upon his sword to show that he was not a prisoner. It was obvious whose side he was on.

As the hours wore on, Black Rivers tried to engage the two of them. He hurled insults and obscenities, but they were able to ignore him for the most part. Until he at last managed to hit a raw nerve.

For the moment he had given up on Olyvar, who was accustomed to ignoring most of his older brothers. It was Theon he went after. They should have known something nasty was about to come form his lips as his eyes narrowed and his smile turned up in a cruel grin. "You married one of those wolf bitches didn't you. The one who was supposed to marry poor, idiotic Elmar here."

Theon said nothing, he just gazed ahead, hoping that whatever Walder Rivers had to say wouldn't be too unbearable.

"Ah, I'm right, I remember you at the wedding. Did you know I was the one that slit your wife's mother's throat. She practically went crazy there. at the end, watching her son be butchered. Some might even call what I did a mercy. But I sure enjoyed it."

Without thinking Theon was up in a flash, his sword out. Olyvar was not far behind him, but he kept his sword sheathed. Instead he placed a restraining hand on Theon's arm. Perhaps it was that small gesture that brought his anger into focus, and allowed him to think coldly, rationally. Black Walder was trying to get a rise out of him. If he harmed or hurt the man in anyway Stannis's plans could be ruined. He needed to check his temper. He returned his sword to its sheath. He held up a hand to Olvyar as if to say he had himself under control and then took a small step towards the two men. Elmar cowered slightly, but Walder just grinned at him.

"Is that your confession then, bastard?" Theon said carefully. "You freely admit to killing Lady Catelyn Stark of Winterfell, while she was under guest right?"

"And I'd do it again too." Walder answered with a shrug.

"Then do not think for a moment that your life will be spared. King Stannis has a rigid sense of justice, and I have no doubt he'll visit his justice upon you. You have admitted to killing a noble woman, one that belonged to a noble house of the North. And the North remembers. The army that my King marches with contains a large amount of Northmen, and they are all screaming for justice. The King will give it to them. Your days are numbered."

Theon did not wait for Walder to respond. He simply turned around and walked back to the fire. Olyvar nodded his approval. They ignored the angry shouts Walder hurled at them. Theon was certain he detected a bit of fear and panic underlying the yells.

—

And so it went for days. There was a steady stream of messengers going to and from both camps. Ravens were shot down as Walder Frey attempted to ask for help from the South, and still there was no word from Kings Landing, the Westerlands or the Reach that would bring him help. In fact the siege army seemed to be growing, most notably on Theon's side of the Trident. Lords that held little or no land came to offer their services. Men at arms who's own lords had been lost at the Red Wedding came to join the army in retribution. It seemed there was no love lost in the Riverlands for Walder Frey and what he had done during the war.

Finally after the eleventh day of the siege, Walder Frey surrendered. Theon doubted that them having hostages made any difference. He assumed Lord Frey finally realized he had run out of options. His ally in the North was dead and defeated, and his so called allies in the south were silent. His time as Lord of the Riverlands was done. At least that was what he thought happened. When they entered the castle the story was one that was much different.

It appeared that during the night Lord Walder Frey had died. Olyvar and Theon had been escorted to the dead Frey's chambers the moment they entered the castle on Theon's side of the Tridant, for that was where Lord Walder seemed to have felt the safest during the siege. King Stannis, Lord Mallister and two Maesters stood in the room with them.

"He was found this way this morning. The girl he was using as a bed warmer woke up to a stiff and cold body." Stannis said. "She said she thought that old age had finally caught up to them."

"However, there is evidence to suggest that he didn't die of natural causes," put in a maester, once Stannis bid him to talk.

"He was poisoned?" Olyvar asked quietly, his gaze had not left the still form of his father.

"Ay,e we think so." The other maester put in. "And by his own hand no less." The man picked up a bottle and held it up for all to see. "It is a fairly common medicine in small doses, but if one exceeds a certain amount, death is all but assured. I believe he ingested the whole bottle."

Mallister frowned. "This bed warmer, could she have done it?"

"There is no sign of struggle," Stannis motioned around the room. "He was not forced to drink this."

"It is true," said one of the maesters. "This particular herb is pungent and not tasteless, it could not be hidden inside food or drink."

"And no one else could have done this to him, forced it down his throat as he slept, held him down when he woke up?" Theon asked.

But it was Olyvar who spoke up. His voice sounded hollow, as if he was just now registering the fact that his father was dead. Theon knew exactly how that felt. The two of had more in common now than when they had first met. "No, my father did this to himself. I don't need any proof. He has always been a coward. He saw there was no way to win, he knew his days were numbered. He would rather die on his own terms then face justice. He was never honorable. I've always known that." He looked to Stannis, "He left the hard challenges to others. I take it one of my brothers surrendered the castle."

Stannis nodded his head. "Yes. Although from what we are led to believe, some of your older brothers disagreed about what should be done. Some wanted to wait the siege out and hold on until help arrived from the South. The ones who wanted to surrender persuaded some of the men at arms to take those that disagreed to the dungeons. I believe your full brother was among the smarter group. There is much to be discussed but I will take your advice and allow him to take command of the Twins if he bends his knee to me."

"He will." Olyvar said faintly.

Stannis nodded and then moved to leave the room. Almost as an after thought, he turned to both of them. "I am sorry to both of you. You both seemed to have lost fathers fairly recently." Both men nodded their heads in acknowledgment and watched as their king strode from the room. Mallister moved to follow. He said nothing but paused beside Olyvar and placed his hand on the his shoulder to show sympathy and then left.

This left the two of them in the room with Walder's body. "It seems our situations mirror themselves." Theon said. "I am sorry about your father."

"It's strange, but I don't feel sad about his dying." Olyvar said. "It's not as if I am numb like you were. I feel something, but it isn't sadness because my father is dead. I never liked the man and he barely knew I was alive. He could not keep his own children straight, there were so many of us. But I'm sad for my siblings, those that knew and loved him."

"It's still more than what I felt for my father." Theon shrugged. "Perhaps it's better for Westeros that the two of them are dead."

"Of that I have no doubt." Olyvar tried to make light of the situation but failed. Perhaps there was some small part of the little boy left that at one time loved his father. "Either way, justice has been served. The man responsible for Robb's death has died, and once the King has heard that Walder Rivers admitted to killing Lady Stark, he'll be dead too. That will be it, that will be all of them, Theon. You can go back to Arya with the news that all of the men who murdered her family have been brought to justice."

It was true, he could bring her that news. And soon too. His part in the South was done. He would leave Edmure to his sister, and Riverrun to Stannis. He was going home to his wife.

—

**Author's note: **Well the Freys have been dealt with. I wanted Walder Frey's death to be cowardly and anticlimactic as befits his character. I have a small epilogue that I wish to put up to finish off this particular story. (I wanted to write one more Arya and Theon scene before I finished it). I am starting the process of planning a sequel, where Arya and Theon will be part of but I will also delve into other characters (Sansa, Yara, Jon etc.). It might take awhile, but it will be done. I'm also considering putting up another Arya/Theon story I started in November if anyone is interested.

Once again thank you to those who commented, PMed me and favored me, even though I grew lax in my updates. Life just gets in the way of writing sometimes.


	41. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The moment Theon had left the Twins it felt like he was in a rush. He rushed his men to march as fast as they could, only stopping to rest when absolutely necessary. He assured both the men he was with, Olyvar, and himself that he wanted to reach Winterfell as quickly as possible, while the weather was good and before an inevitable winter storm forced them to come to a stand still. He was reasonably sure that he only fooled the Ironborn who were with him. Olyvar knew that from the moment the Twins were taken, Theon's mind was only focused on Winterfell and Arya.

They had been fairly lucky. While it had been cold, the snows were relatively minimal. There were storms, but so far none of the awful blizzards that would come as winter deepened. They were able to travel quickly, and the closer they came to Winterfell the harder Theon pushed. So much so, that when they were only a few miles from the castle, and night was approaching, Olyvar suggested they make camp for one last, cold night before they reached Winterfell the next day. Theon suggested that Olyvar and his men could make camp if the wanted; but he had every intention of continuing on, even if it meant reaching the castle during the blackest part of night. Much to Theon's surprise, Olyvar and the Ironborn decided to push forward with him and so it was that, their little band of men showed up at Winterfell's gates slightly before the Hour of the Wolf.

It didn't take long for the guards at the gates to realize that it was only Theon Greyjoy returning to Winterfell, along with men to help round out the castle's fighting forces. Once they had been admitted into the gates, Theon quickly went through the motions of taking his horse to the stables and seeing that his men were also suitably taking care of their own animals. He rushed through quick greetings to a sleepy steward, and left Olyvar with the task of getting the men who had come with them a hot meal and a proper place to sleep. He rushed up the stairs and through the halls, until finally, he reached the room that he knew Arya would be sleeping in. He hadn't even stopped to take off his cloak, he recalled removing his gloves and shoving them to some faceless servant, but that was all he had managed to do.

When he reached the door he stopped abruptly. He was perhaps a bit relived that Arya would be asleep beyond that door. He knew she would be happy that he had returned… eventually, but he also knew that she would still be furious about the abrupt way in which he had left. He smiled a little at that, he knew he deserved it, but he didn't want it to ruin the reunion. So instead of bursting through the door, he quietly unlatched the door and gingerly pushed it open.

The room beyond was dark, only faintly illuminated by the dying fire. His eyes moved to the bed. He saw the lump of a figure there, covered in layers of blankets to keep chill in the air at bay. He felt a twinge in his heart as he came to the realization just how much he had missed his Little Wolf. And he recognized the relief he felt at finally being in the same room with her once again. He made a mistake, leaving her behind. He supposed he could see that in hindsight. Nothing terrible happened while he was away, but when he left all those months before he hadn't known everything would turn out. His single focus was to keep her safe, and he thought that keeping her at Winterfell would do that. If he had to do something similar like that again, he would take him with her. She could take care of herself, he knew, and as much as he loved Olyvar, he would have felt better with her at his side through all that he went through. Especially when he had to confront whatever it was that had ailed his mother.

He stood at the door for several seconds, a small smile played upon his lips as he looked fondly at the woman who was his wife. Then finally he took a few muffled steps into the room, and when he was about half way to the bed, the figure under the blankets stirred into action. Faster then he would have believed possible from someone who was just waking up, Arya was on her knees on top of the bed, the blankets puddled around her. In her hand was a small dagger that she must have retrieved from under her pillow. He imagined her eyes were narrowed in suspicion as she peered at what she perceived to be an intruder.

He let out a little chuckle. "Is that how you welcome your husband home, Little Wolf?"

Arya became still as she registered the words he had said. She blinked once in shock, and then slowly lowered her weapon. "Theon?" she whispered. There had been a raven, days ago from the Twins saying that Theon was on his way, but he wasn't expected to be home so quickly. She needed a second to reassure herself that he was there and this wasn't just some dream she was having. When she heard the amused laugh, she let the hand that held the dagger fall to her side.

Quickly, and with a grace that suggested to Theon that she had kept in practice with her Water Dancing, she was off the bed and in seconds she stood in front of him. With the hand that didn't hold the dagger, she grabbed the rough fur cloak he had worn for warmth and jerked it so that he had to bend over slightly to reach her level. Her lips touched his with a force that conveyed her relief at seeing him safe, the love she still felt for him, and he was certain there was a bit of anger in there too, all rolled up in one passionate kiss, and he returned in eagerly.

One hand reached out to grab her waist to bring her closer to him so he could properly embrace her, when suddenly she jerked herself out of the kiss. Even in the dim firelight he could see her eyes flashing, and he felt the cold tip of her dagger underneath his chin. He offered her a grin that hinted only a little at his chagrin.

She must have known that would be the expression he would wear and she practically growled at him. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't scratch you right here and now." She demanded.

He knew this was the reaction he would come home too, he also knew she wouldn't hurt him, well not fatally anyway. One might even argue that in some small way he deserved her anger, maybe not the bloodshed, but definitely her anger. He dropped his arm back to his side.

When he said nothing, she demanded of him once more. "You left me here."

"I know. I'm sorry." He said plainly.

"You didn't even say good bye!"

"It won't happen again." He said and he felt a slight pressure of the tip of he dagger on his skin. Not enough to break the skin, but just enough to remind him that he owed her a lot more than_, it won't happen again_. Lifting his hand once more, he gently took the wrist that held the dagger. "I know, I was wrong. I shouldn't have left you, and I should have said good bye." He guided her wrist so that the dagger was no longer a threat. "And I promise you, when we wake up you can yell and scream at me all you like. I deserve it. But for now, can we just forget that you are angry with me so we can have a proper reunion."

By way of answer, she let the dagger clatter to the ground, where it lay forgotten as she lifted her hands up to unclasp his cloak, while he pressed an more tender kiss upon her lips. And with that he knew that she would put the anger aside for now, because she had missed him as much as he missed her. Eventually the kisses turned into something a far more frenzied, as they realized they needed to make up for all those lost months. His cloak was discarded on the floor, as well as her nightclothes, hastily his boots were undone and kicked aside, followed by the layers of his clothing. Eventually they found their way to the bed. And when they had finally finished their proper reunion, they both lay pleasantly tangled within each other, both feeling satisfied, drowsy and happy, despite any troubles that might lay ahead of them.

Arya's eyes were closed, and she gave a small sigh of contentment. "I'm still angry with you, this didn't make me forget that." She murmured.

Theon could imagine the small grin he knew would be on her face as he traced small circles lightly on the bare skin of her back. "I had no intention of making you forget." He whispered.

"Good." She said. For a moment neither said anything. Then she added, "I still love you too."

It was his turn to grin, "I know that." He craned his neck so he could give her a small peck on her forehead. "I love you too." And with that said, they both drifted off to sleep, content if only for a while.

**The End**

Well, that's it, for this story at least. There will be a sequel, I'm just trying to untangle a bit of the plot and finish up a rough outline and then I'll start writing it. Like I said before I am also going to start posting up the story I was working on last November. It will be an Arya/Theon…because well I like my odd pairing. I'll probably get the first chapter of that up in a week or two. Hopefully if life allows.

I owe all of those people who liked, favored, and commented. This has been an interesting experience for me and I never finished anything this expansive before. I'm happy so many people took the time out to read and respond to it.

To Jean d'arc: Thank you so much for being so faithful! Even when I wasn't posting up as fast as I should. And haha, yes it would have been humiliating for Walder to have died while um..inside the girl. I should have thought of that sooner!

SilvasPrickle: Thank you…. I look forward to writing more of Arya and Theon

Again thank you to all the others who wrote such awesome reviews!


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